Dark Water
by MetalOx137
Summary: The Halliwell sisters are forced to confront their very first demon - the one that killed their mother and oldest sister. Episode 3 of the Charmed AU series.
1. Chapter 1

It was the first weekend of March, and a bitter winter chill was lingering in the air. The temperatures on Saturday morning were just above freezing, but Piper Halliwell barely noticed the cold. Piper and her two younger sisters, Phoebe and Paige, were busy clearing out the rest of Piper's belongings from her tiny apartment in San Francisco, and preparing to move everything over to the Halliwell manor, just a few blocks away on Prescott Street.

It was just after 10 in the morning, and the sisters had been hard at work packing since sunrise. Paige's boyfriend Glen had graciously offered to provide some of the heavy lifting, which Piper gratefully accepted. But as everyone had skipped breakfast, and stomachs were growling, Paige had sent the young man off in search of croissant sandwiches and fruit, while Piper plugged in her coffee maker for the final time. In moments, the aging percolator began to make its reassuring, repetitive gurgle.

"You haven't packed all the coffee mugs yet, I hope?" Piper asked her sister Phoebe, who was busy taping up boxes in the small kitchen. Phoebe brushed away a stray lock of her light brown hair from her face, and grinned at her big sister.

"I left cups and plates for four. I figured, last meal in the old place, right?"

"Right."

Piper gazed around the space almost wistfully. The walls and cupboards were now bare; paintings and pictures had been taken down, the utensil and spice racks had been packed away; and most of what Piper owned now sat in square, brown packing boxes stacked against the far wall.

"You're not sorry you're leaving?" Phoebe asked, noting her sister's pensive look.

Piper shook her head as if to clear it, and then smiled at her sister. "No. Nothing like that. I was just thinking, I won't miss this place much. I never really lived here. I mean, I kept my stuff here. But as soon as I was up, I was either at work, or taking care of Grams. I never actually spent any time here. Just slept here and took a shower in the mornings. That was about it. Never managed to start a life of my own, like I planned."

"Yeah, I tried to get away too," Phoebe agreed somberly, fixing a band of tape to the top of one of the boxes. "And you see how well that worked out."

"Well, I'm glad you're home," Piper said, with all sincerity.

Phoebe gave her sister a grateful smile. "So am I," she confided, almost shyly.

There was an indistinct scuffling noise at the front door, and a few moments later, Piper's baby sister Paige entered the apartment, cupping her hands and blowing on them.

"Jeepers, it's still freezing outside," she complained. "I thought it would warm up a little, now that the sun is out."

"It's San Francisco, honey, you should be used to the cold by now," Piper grinned. "Don't worry, we'll have hot coffee in about three minutes. No cream or sugar, though. You'll have to take it black."

"That's okay, mostly I just want to warm my hands." Paige shrugged herself out of her long coat and doffed her woolen cap, then smoothed down a few loose strands of her long ebony hair that had been captured and teased by static electricity. "I locked up the van. I figured for the next few minutes we wouldn't be loading any stuff downstairs."

"Take a pew," Piper drawled, pointing to one of only three straight-backed chairs remaining in the apartment. The dinette table had already been loaded into the van, leaving a small, open area in the middle of the floor.

"This is exciting," Paige declared, still rubbing her hands as she sat down. "We're finally going to be in our own house together! This is so cool!"

Phoebe gave her sister a tolerating grin. "Paige, we've been living together for over a week now."

"Yeah, but this kinda makes it official. You know?"

"Well, it certainly makes it official for me," Piper declared. "I'll finally have all my underwear in one place, for a change."

"Wherever your toothbrush and your panty drawer is, that's home," Phoebe agreed solemnly. She looked at the growing pile of boxes and sighed. "We should have asked Leo to help us with all this stuff."

"This is a little outside his jurisdiction," Piper grinned. "Besides, I'm really not sure how much I want to impose on him. He's already got his hands full, introducing us to magic."

"And there's also the teeny tiny little fact that you want to date him," Phoebe teased gently.

"I don't need for things to be any more complicated than they already are," Piper answered evenly. "God knows, it seems like the whole world has turned upside-down in the last few weeks as it is."

"Well, as Leo said, it's not the world that's changed. It's us," Paige pointed out. "We know we're witches now, and that we have powers. I haven't even begun to figure out everything I can do yet."

"If Leo is right, there's nothing we can't do," Phoebe added. "I sure wish I'd known about this when I was in New York."

"Why? You think the Big Apple needs a few more Wiccans?" Piper asked, gathering the coffee mugs together.

Phoebe's look turned thoughtful. "No," she said at last. "It's just… I think my experience there would have been very different, had I known then what I was capable of."

"Better, or worse?" Paige asked, and Phoebe caught her sister's inference right away.

"I… don't know," Phoebe answered, in all honesty. "I think it's probably better that I learned about magic from my sisters. On my own…" she trailed off, leaving the sentence unfinished.

Piper began to pour the coffee into the waiting mugs. "Well, we're glad you learned about magic with us, too," she said. "There's no way I could have dealt with this by myself. I'd probably be hiding under the bed in a catatonic state, if you guys hadn't been around."

"I wanna know when I can tell Glen that I'm a witch," Paige said plaintively.

"Paige…" Piper subconsciously used the same moderating tone that her Grams had used, when disciplining them as children. "Right now, we have to assume that demons everywhere are watching us, to see if we have any powers. And if they find out that we have powers, before we know how to use them, our family reunion is going to be nasty, brutish and short."

She handed each of her sisters a coffee mug.

"Ooh. Leviathan reference. Cool. Thanks," Paige said, taking the proffered mug and sipping from it.

"Yeah, but Paige has a point," Phoebe suggested, taking her mug as well. "We can't hide from the world forever. Sooner or later, we gotta come out of the closet." She grinned mischievously. "Flying around on our broomsticks."

Paige made a face. "I don't have to learn how to fly… do I?"

"Why not? Being able to fly would be so cool!"

"Phoebe," Piper remonstrated gently, in the same moderating tone. "It's good you guys are interested in learning about witchcraft. But right now, we have no idea what we're doing, or even what we can do. So our best safety means, hiding our secret. For now. And that means, no telling boyfriends," she intoned severely, staring down her nose at Paige.

"All right, all right," Paige conceded, a little sulkily. "I just… it would be nice to tell him. That's all."

"Well, one day soon, I hope you can. For now, we keep things quiet. We have enough to deal with as it is. Let's not add anything to our worry pile until we absolutely have to."

"So, when do we get to meet this detective guy?" Phoebe asked. "Leo's buddy."

"His name is Darryl Morris," Piper reminded her sister, for probably the fourth or fifth time that week. "And… I don't know. Leo said he would talk to him."

"If he's got us under surveillance, why can't we meet him? Isn't he kind of like one of our protectors, too?" Paige asked.

"I suppose," Piper nodded. "But I don't know what the rules are for San Francisco police officers on stakeout. I know technically we're not the target of any investigation, but still, I doubt Inspector Morris can just come in and join us for coffee."

"Still, it would be nice to meet him," Phoebe said. "We have someone watching over us, but we have no idea who he is, or what he looks like, or anything."

"Do you think he's cute?" Paige wondered aloud.

"He's probably forty-five, jowly and with love handles," Phoebe giggled. "Only shaves every other week."

"Nahh. I bet he's movie star hot. With rock hard muscles," Paige countered, almost wistfully.

"All right, you two," Piper drawled. "We'll find out about Inspector Morris soon enough. For now, let's keep the subject on moving day. Glen will be back with our breakfast any time now, and he doesn't need to overhear anything about witches or demons or stakeouts, or any other weird thing we have to deal with."

"There's something else we need to talk about," Phoebe said quietly. "When it's just the three of us alone. The monster in the lake." She paused. "We need to deal with that."

"Yes, we do," Piper agreed. "And we will. But not until we're ready."

"Piper, it killed mom. And it killed Prue. We need to be ready now."

Piper set her coffee mug down on the counter, stepped behind Phoebe's chair, and settled her hands across her sister's shoulders in a reassuring gesture. "We'll talk about it at home," she promised.

Phoebe reached up and placed her hand over one of Piper's, giving it a gentle squeeze. The two sisters exchanged a subdued smile, which clearly said, _I'm so glad you're here._ Their reverie was interrupted as they heard a male voice calling out from the doorway.

"Hallo!" Glen Belland somehow managed to make a slight tapping at the door, even with his hands full of a large tray filled with breakfast sandwiches and a shopping bag. "Roach coach is here!"

"Oh, thank God, I'm starving," Paige declared, leaping from her seat and rushing to the door to help him.

"Hey Glen, where'd you run off to find breakfast? San Jose?" Phoebe teased.

"Nahh. Just a couple blocks away," the young, handsome dark haired man smiled broadly. "Sorry it took so long. Apparently everyone on this side of town wanted breakfast out at the same time we did."

He set the tray on the counter, while Paige began to extract fruit cups, napkins and plastic utensils from the large bag.

"Well, I greatly appreciate your assistance," Piper assured him. "This really would have been a lot harder without your help."

"Glad I could be of service," Glen smiled, but his response was cut short as Paige forcefully pulled him close into a passionate kiss.

Phoebe waved her hands in front of her face in mock annoyance. "Hey! Hey!" she scolded. "A little less 'P' in the 'PDA', please."

"Come on, Phoebe, I haven't seen my boyfriend for two whole weeks," Paige protested, still hugging Glen tightly to her. She glanced at her other sister. "You don't mind, do you, Piper?"

"Nahh," Piper smiled tolerantly. "I remember being twenty-four, once."

"Yeah, because twenty-eight is so damn old," Paige shot back. "You're so ready for the rest home."

"Besides, we've seen how you look at Leo," Phoebe added with a mischievous smirk. "Particularly when he's walking away. You know, that spot you stare at, where his legs kinda meet his back?"

"All right, all right, that's enough out of both of you," Piper barked. "Shut up and eat your breakfast. Before I decide I'm moving into this house by myself."

"Can't do that," Phoebe sang softly, her smirk widening into a crocodile grin.

"You put the house in all three of our names," Paige joined in.

"Yeah, that was a big mistake," Piper sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Who's Leo?" Glen asked, finally releasing Paige so he could grab breakfast sandwiches for both of them.

"He's the handyman who's been doing house repairs for us," Phoebe explained. She lowered her voice to a stage whisper. "Piper's been flirting shamelessly with him since day one."

"I have not," Piper protested vehemently.

"Sounds pretty smart to me," Glen answered, handing one of the breakfast sandwiches to Paige. "If you're looking for a boyfriend, why not pick one who's good with house repairs?"

"I am not looking for - " Piper started to say, and then gave up with a resigned sigh. "Yeah. Okay. I like him," she admitted. "But I only just met him. My sisters just like to give me crap about him," she retorted, glaring at each of them.

"Are you going to ask him out? Or are you waiting for him to do that? If that's not too personal a question."

"He's waiting for me," Piper admitted. "I kind of told him I was working through some stuff." She handed the last coffee mug to Glen, and he took it with a grateful smile.

"Well, if you think you really like him, don't wait," he suggested. "Even if it's just to say, hey, let's get together soon. Let him know you're really interested."

"Oh, she's interested," Phoebe nodded solemnly, and Piper responded by giving her a playful swat.

"Well, I'm glad you guys are all moving in together," Glen said in all seriousness. "I think it's great. I haven't seen Paige this happy in weeks." He shot a quick smile at Paige. "And it's good to see you guys mixing it up a little. Makes you sound normal. Like sisters," he added quickly, hoping his comment wouldn't be misinterpreted.

"Yeah, you probably saw enough of us hating on each other for real when we were teenagers, huh?" Phoebe sighed, and then vowed solemnly, "I promise you, Glen, you're never going to see that kind of thing again. And especially, not from me."

Glen didn't reply, but he gave Phoebe a shy, approving smile.

"Yeah, I'd forgotten just how annoying my sisters can be," Piper deadpanned. "But I think I'll keep 'em, all the same."

"I'm glad you're keeping the house, too. It's a really nice place. It would have been a shame to lose it."

"That's the conclusion we came to," Piper agreed, unwrapping her sandwich. "It's still going to be tough, though. Lots of work to be done. And it's gonna cost most of what all three of us make to live there."

"Well, help's coming," Paige declared. "My first day of work is Monday." She made a face. "I'm joining the ranks of the gainfully employed. God help me."

"And not a moment too soon," Piper agreed, sipping her coffee.

"How about you, Phoebe?" Glen asked. "Any idea what you want to do yet?"

"Not a clue," Phoebe sighed. "But, I'm headed to the temp agency first thing Monday morning. I can do temp jobs for a while, until I figure out what I want to do with the rest of my life." She regarded the young man with sudden curiosity. "Say, Glen, what do you do, anyway? It just occurs to me, I don't think I've seen you since, well, high school. You do have a job, right?"

Glen smiled shyly. "I book travel tours and stuff. Mostly Australia, but some SoCal events too. And sometimes, I'm lucky enough to be a guide on the tours."

"Really. You've been to Australia."

"Three times now. Once to Sydney, once to Uluru, and I just got back from being one of the guides on a two week tour of New South Wales."

"Wow. That sounds great."

"It's fun," Glen agreed, bobbing his head. "It's a great place to visit and hang out. Really cool people. Amazing things to see. Kinda want to find something closer to home, though."

"Really?" Phoebe arched an eyebrow.

"Yeah, well…" Glen grinned sheepishly as he glanced at Paige. "There's someone I'm kind of getting really serious with now, and I want to stay nearby."

Phoebe's mouth fell open in delighted surprise. "Wow. You guys were like, high school sweethearts, and you're still that serious?"

"We were trying to show you just how serious we are, and you told us to knock it off," Paige pointed out with a wicked grin.

"We were pretty casual in high school and college," Glen admitted. "But, when we started dating other people, we just realized… we didn't like any of these people as much as we liked each other."

"Wow. That's really cool," Phoebe said admiringly.

"Thanks. I think I'm pretty lucky," Glen smiled shyly.

* * *

Despite the bitter cold, the sun was shining brightly over the deserted Skylark Woodland campground. In fact, were it not for the chill, the scene would have been bucolic. Darryl Morris' nondescript sedan pulled into the neglected parking lot at the top of the ridge, a few hundred feet from the lake shore. The car stopped in one of the few spots where the asphalt had not yet cracked and been broken apart by weeds.

Darryl Morris emerged from the car, pulled his long coat a little tighter around him, and shivered; not entirely from the cold. He glanced at Leo Wyatt, who was getting out of the passenger side door.

"This is the place."

The two men surveyed the campgrounds that lie nestled just below the ridge. A winding path, partly hidden by a copse of evergreens, led away from the parking area down to the bunkhouses and docks at the water's edge. The area was utterly still - no wind rustling through the trees, no birds singing, even the surface of the lake itself was flat and featureless. The entire site was still and silent - almost too eerily quiet to be tranquil.

"Hard to believe so many deaths have occurred in a place as beautiful as this," Leo remarked sadly.

Darryl shrugged. "They did the right thing, closing this place down."

"Well, the best thing to do is make it safe again. Where did the cameras pick up Sam?"

"Pretty close to the docks." He pointed down the pathway, then cast a troubled glance at his companion. "Sure you want to go down there?"

"We should be safe enough," Leo answered. "We're not going into the water."

"Yeah, sure about that, are you?"

Leo gave his friend a grim smile. "Come on."

Minding their feet, the two men carefully made their way down the steep trail. As they neared the base of the ridge, the path widened out, and both men noted that the walkway had been carefully maintained - the path itself was cleared of any weeds, and the tall grasses had been trimmed well back on either side of the gravel path.

"Someone's been taking care of this place," Leo remarked.

"The utility crews might have been up here, checking on the water supply lines."

"Maybe. But they wouldn't do maintenance on the trail head. And the camp itself is deserted, right?"

"It's supposed to be."

The eerie silence continued, and the only sound Darryl and Leo could hear was their own footsteps, crunching on the gravel beneath them. As they neared the camp entrance, the gravel gave way to a simple dirt path - but even here, the grounds looked groomed, maintained, cared for.

"If Sam is around, how do you suggest we draw him out?" Leo involuntarily lowered his voice, almost feeling like he shouldn't disturb the silence.

"Well, he could be most anywhere," Darryl admitted. "The whole area around the lake is several hundred acres. But if he's been spotted on the security cameras set up by the utility crews, my guess is, he's bunking down in one of these cabins."

"So, even if we don't find him, we might be able to find where he's laying low."

"And then have an officer stake out the area, and wait for him to turn up."

Darryl glanced out towards the dock area. There were no boats tied alongside the pilings, but the dock itself, like the campground, seemed well maintained. Leo noticed his pensive stare.

"Three quarters of the drownings occurred within thirty feet of that dock."

"Yeah." After a moment's hesitation, Darryl began to move towards it. Leo quickly followed.

"I doubt you're going to see anything," he suggested hesitantly.

Darryl snorted in mild derision.

"You think you will?" Leo seemed surprised.

"I don't like cold cases, Leo," Darryl answered tersely. "They don't always mean that the officers and detectives didn't do the best job they could. But they're unfinished business. People died here. Their families don't know why, they want answers, and we can't explain it - or stop it from happening again. When Andy and I first got into this gig, we bought into the whole 'protect and serve' thing. Completely. A cop's first job is to protect people. I've always believed that. Now we're facing something that, maybe, we can't protect anyone from. It doesn't sit well with me."

"Me, either," Leo agreed grimly. "Let's see what we can see."

They stepped out onto the dock, and their footsteps echoed slightly between the wood and the water. The dock was a fixed-pier type, solidly built and showed no signs of age or wear.

"This dock could have been built a week ago," Darryl muttered. "No dry rot. No weathering. It's damn near brand new."

"The hawsers are a little worse for wear, though," Leo noted, stooping down to lift one end of the thick, moldering, coiled rope. "These have been here for months, at least."

He stood up, wiping his hands on his jeans. The two men made their way to the end of the dock and stared out over the water. The lake was perfectly calm - no waves could be seen or heard lapping against the pilings. There was no hint of a breeze. The air was clear and cold - and unnaturally still.

Darryl's stare hardened as he looked out over the water. "You know, I could imagine, like, a big crocodile, or a school of piranha fish, taking people," he said. "That's far-fetched but at least it's something real. The idea that there's a demon lurking somewhere down there, breathing under the water, looking up at the people… looking at us…"

His voice trailed off, apparently unable or unwilling to finish his thought.

"You've seen enough supernatural creatures by now to know they're real," Leo pointed out.

"I know. Still creeps me out, though." Darryl knelt down at the end of the dock and stared at his own reflection in the perfectly calm water. He was just about to straighten up when his reflection shimmered slightly, continuing to stare back him, but now with a distinctly malevolent grin.

"What the hell?"

Darryl leaned forward slightly. The water immediately beneath him began to agitate by some unseen force.

"Get off the dock!" A male voice bawled at them.

Darryl got to his feet, and he and Leo both turned to see a bearded, middle-aged man running towards them, waving his arms frantically.

"Get off the dock, NOW!" The man was almost screaming his warning.

As Leo and Darryl exchanged a worried glance, the dock planking beneath them gave a sickening lurch. At the very edge of the dock, a waterspout was forming - but it did not have the normal shape of a spout. The churning water was pushing itself upward and outward, away from the surface of the lake, into something that almost resembled a human form - but several times larger than any man. Darryl and Leo gaped at the sight in astonishment, transfixed.

"RUN!" The man screamed.

The water began to fall inwards, rushing upon them; without thinking, Leo grabbed Darryl and in the blink of an eye, they vanished in a cloud of tiny white lights. A few moments later, they were standing on the ridge again, several hundred feet from shore.

The water demon was still crouching over the end of the dock, clearly dumbfounded that its prey had vanished. It almost appeared to straighten up, and turn towards them. The water began to gurgle angrily, making a sound eerily like the roar of a frustrated carnivore.

"It sees us," Darryl gasped.

"Well… it senses us," Leo agreed.

Both men were still too amazed - and perhaps to frightened - to move. Leo cast a furtive glance at the shoreline. The man who sought to warn them was sprinting at top speed for the relative safety of the trees, well back from the shore. In a moment, he disappeared into the dark cover of the forest.

"It can't… get up here?" Darryl was almost too breathless to ask the question.

"I don't think so," Leo said uncertainly.

Even from the considerable distance, the effect of seeing a large spout of water assuming an anthropomorphic form was terrifying. The column of water seemed to turn away from the dock, as a man might turn on his heel, and moments later, the water abruptly began to spill away from its unnatural shape, falling back into the lakebed. In less than a minute, it was entirely gone, leaving behind only agitated ripples in the surface of the lake to indicate its passing.

"What… the hell… was that?" Darryl demanded, desperately gasping for breath.

"That," Leo said grimly, "Is why we need the Halliwell sisters to learn how to use their magical powers as quickly as possible."

"That thing… it - it was made… out of water… but it was alive… it…"

Darryl leaned forward, hands on his knees, convulsively gagging.

"Give it a minute," Leo said, placing a comforting hand on Darryl's shoulder. "It'll pass."

As Leo indicated, the dry heaves passed after a moment, and Darryl - rather unsteadily - straightened up.

"Are you okay?" Leo asked worriedly.

"Man, how do you DO that?" Darryl demanded, his voice strangled.

Leo shrugged. "You get used to it."

"I don't think I could ever get used to traveling that way."

"I suppose it bothers me less, because technically I'm dead."

"Yeah, let's not even go there, Wyatt. Please." Darryl's grimace suggested that he was finally regaining some semblance of self-possession after being badly frightened. "So, what the hell was that thing?"

"It's a demon of some kind. I don't know the classification."

"Demons come in classif - you know what, never mind. I really don't want to know."

"That was Sam Wilder, wasn't it? Who warned us off?" Leo asked.

"That was him."

"Well, he's no White Lighter."

"How can you tell?"

"He didn't orb to get away to safety. Trust me, if he still had those abilities, confronted with a demon like that - he'd have used them."

"So, he's not one of your people, then."

"Maybe. He could have been a White Lighter before now."

"What, and he just quit? Are you allowed to do that?"

"It's not a conscription, Darryl," Leo grinned. "No one is forced into service. Everyone who becomes a White Lighter does so willingly. And if at some point they want to stop, for whatever reason, they can walk away."

"Huh. I guess I never figured that."

"It doesn't mean there aren't consequences to those decisions. If Sam was a White Lighter, and he gave up his powers, then he'd become an ordinary mortal again. He'd start to age."

"Well, he looks fiftyish now. So if he's really a hundred and twenty five…"

"Then it's a good bet he spent a long part of his life as a White Lighter, at some earlier time." Leo frowned. "So if he's given up his powers, what's he doing hanging around up here? Where he knows there's a demon lurking?"

Darryl was continuing to stare at the lake, which had resumed its deceptively tranquil appearance. He shuddered involuntarily. "Maybe he does for other folks like he did for us. Tries to warn 'em away."

"Maybe. But why do that as a mortal? He'd be far better able to protect himself and others if he still had his White Lighter abilities."

"Well, if we can find him again, let's ask him."

"Agreed," Leo nodded tersely. "But not now. He'll have gone to ground somewhere. We could spend all day looking for him, and my bet is, he doesn't want to be found. And frankly… after what we just saw, we shouldn't come back up here again. Not without reinforcements."

"You mean, magical reinforcements," Darryl sought to clarify. "You want to bring the sisters up here."

"Actually, that's the very last thing I want to do," Leo sighed heavily. "But we can't stop this thing without their help. And they're going to have to confront it, sooner or later. This is the demon that killed their mother and their oldest sister."

"Damn." Darryl finally turned away from the lake, looking back at Leo with a worried expression on his face. "So, we ask them to get involved."

"Yeah." Despite his malaise, Leo forced himself to smile at the detective. "Come on, Darryl," he cajoled him, clapping him on the shoulder. "It's time I introduced you to the Charmed Ones."


	2. Chapter 2

As the morning wore on, the frosty chill in the winter air finally began to wane; the cold lingered, but the bite was gone. It was early afternoon by the time the Halliwell sisters, along with Paige's boyfriend Glen, had moved the last of Piper's belongings from the moving van into the manor. They settled into a late lunch of sandwiches, hot tea and vegetable sticks, and Piper began to feel a great contentment in her heart. She was finally home, in the home that was now truly her own, with all her family around her. It was a blessing she vowed to never again overlook.

Throughout the meal, Phoebe and Paige teased each other incessantly; but unlike when they were children, the verbal jousting between them was playful and good-natured, and repeatedly punctuated by great peals of laughter. The simple joy was a salve for Piper's broken heart. She occasionally contributed a dry witticism to the proceedings, but the most part, she was content to sit back and watch while her once-estranged sisters bonded with each other. Nothing could have possibly made Piper happier. The experience was, she realized, pure magic. She could feel it in her - literally feel the magic inside her and around her - and especially, radiating from her sisters' joy like a great, golden glow. It thawed and warmed the parts of her numbed soul where she despaired of ever having sensation again. As she made eye contact with each of her sisters, Piper realized they felt it, too - basking in the magical energy that was not only flowing through them, but realizing that they themselves were generating most of the magic they felt. It was a happiness Piper hadn't even dared hope for. It was only when Paige leaned over to share an occasional quick kiss with Glen that Piper felt a twinge of wistfulness - knowing there was still one thing missing to help make her healing complete.

"Thank you for all your help today, Glen," Piper bestowed a smile of genuine gratitude on the young man. "I don't know how we could have possibly done all this today without you."

"It was nothing," Glen smiled bashfully. "Glad I could help you guys out."

"You know who your real friends are, when they help you move into a new place," Phoebe declared solemnly. "Thanks, buddy."

"Oh, I'll make sure he gets properly thanked," Paige declared, giving her boyfriend a carnal smile.

As Phoebe giggled, Piper waved a tolerating hand at the young couple. "Yes, yes, yes," she agreed. "But in the privacy of your own room, please."

"And with soundproofing," Phoebe added.

Their banter was interrupted by the ringing of the doorbell. Phoebe frowned. "Are we expecting anyone?"

Paige cocked her head slightly, as if listening to something; then suddenly her eyes went wide. "It's Leo," she announced. "And he's brought Inspector Morris over to meet us!"

Piper was suddenly all attention. "Really."

Paige stood up quickly. "It's okay if I let them in, isn't it?"

"Absolutely," Piper nodded emphatically.

"You're going to be doing this from now on, aren't you?" Phoebe groused good-naturedly at Paige. "Telling us what's going to happen, before it happens."

"Apparently." Paige gave her sister a wicked grin, and hurried to the front door.

Glen's brow furrowed in puzzlement. "How did Paige know who was at the door? You guys got a security camera, or something?"

"Or something," Piper nodded solemnly, casting a warning glance at Phoebe, who placed a hand over her heart in a silent protestation of innocence.

Glen cast a questioning look at Piper. "Maybe I should go?" he asked.

Piper gave the young man a reassuring smile. "No, it's fine, Glen. Let's wait and see. If Inspector Morris would like to speak with us privately, we'll send you out to fetch ice cream, or something."

Glen laughed. "Piper, it's barely above freezing outside."

"Then get some hot fudge, too."

Paige threw open the front door with a wide smile. "Hey, Leo!" She greeted the young man warmly. She then extended her hand to Darryl. "Hi. You must be Inspector Morris. I'm Paige Matthews. It's so nice to finally meet you…"

As Paige took Darryl's hand in hers, her mouth fell open in astonishment. She turned from one to other, a look of disbelief on her face.

"Oh, my God," she breathed. "You've seen it. Both of you. You've seen the demon. It's real."

"Hello, Paige." Leo's greeting was perfunctory, indicating the depth of his unease. "Yes. We've seen it. And yes, it's very real."

"Oh, this is crazy!" Paige almost swooned. "I can actually see what you saw! Like I was there! Is that a premonition? Or is it mind reading? God, that thing really is horrible! Do all demons look like that?"

"Paige," Leo warned gently.

"Sorry," Paige apologized quickly to Darryl, realizing how her reaction must have seemed to the bewildered inspector, still clasping her hand. "So sorry. Don't mind me. I can see the future. Or - or something. Won't you please come in?"

Paige stood to one side to let them into the foyer. "Hang your coats anywhere you like," she invited them, gesturing to the coat rack on the wall next to the door. "And please ignore the mess. We just moved in."

The men quickly hung up their coats, and followed Paige back to the kitchen area.

"Piper! Phoebe! Leo's seen the demon! It's real! And I could see -" Paige couldn't help blurting out as re-entered the kitchen, but immediately, she froze and paled as she realized what she'd just done.

There was an awkward pause.

"Uhh, did you just say, 'demon'?" Glen asked uncertainly.

Phoebe blanched, but Piper's only reaction to Paige's verbal indiscretion was to briefly cover her face with one hand, gently pinching the top of her nose between her thumb and forefinger to mask her annoyance. Then she looked up at her baby sister, her expression one of sternest reproach.

"Piper, I'm sorry," Paige cringed.

"Paige…" Piper sighed, knowing that any expression of her displeasure would be futile now. There was no putting that particular cat back in its bag. "Never mind. We'll discuss it later."

"Piper, I really didn't mean to -"

"Paige, put a sock in it. Right now."

Chastened, Paige silenced herself.

"What's… going on?" Glen asked, confused and dismayed by the sudden obvious tension in the room.

"Baby, I will explain everything to you later, I promise," Paige assured him, with one wary eye on her big sister.

Darryl Morris was a little less diplomatic. "This is police business. I need to speak to the Halliwell sisters alone," he told Glen matter-of-factly.

"Right. Yeah. I'd better go." Glen quickly stood up from his seat.

"I'll call you later," Paige promised.

Glen smiled at her, and then turned to Piper. "Let me know if you need any ice cream," he said, and Piper knew instantly that what Glen was really saying to her was: _whatever your secret is, it's safe with me._ She smiled gratefully at the young man.

"Thank you, Glen. For everything."

"No worries. I'll see myself out." He gave Paige a quick peck on the cheek before leaving the room. "See you later, Paige." A few moments later, they heard the front door close behind him.

"Inspector Morris." Piper rose from the table, and extended her hand in greeting. She even managed a welcoming smile. "I'm Piper Halliwell. Welcome to our home. This is my sister Phoebe, and you've already met my sister Paige."

"Hi," Phoebe waved to the detective from where she sat.

Darryl clasped Piper's hand. "It's nice to meet all of you."

"I gather you've had something of an adventure this morning."

"That's putting it mildly."

"We'd like very much to hear everything you have to tell us. Why don't you make yourselves comfortable in the living room," she suggested, nodding at Leo to indicate the invitation included him. "I'll bring some tea, and we'll talk."

"Thank you."

As the men left the room, Paige turned her big sister. "Piper - I…"

Piper held up a hand. "I said, we'll talk about it later," she said simply, and her tone indicated she would brook no argument. Piper turned her back and fixed her attention on brewing another pot of tea. Paige stood helplessly, looking like she might burst into tears at any moment.

Phoebe got up from her chair, and gently tugged at Paige's hand. "Come on," she urged. "Let's go sit in the atrium for a minute."

"But -"

"Piper needs a minute alone, and you need to take a couple of deep breaths yourself. Come on."

She tugged more insistently this time, and reluctantly, Paige allowed herself to be led away.

Once they entered the atrium, Phoebe turned to Paige and gave her a reassuring smile.

"Don't freak out," she counseled. "It was a slip of the tongue. Not the end of the world."

"I never meant to -"

"Paige, sweetie, I know you didn't. And Piper knows that too. And I think we all know that even if we were flying around in mid-air on broomsticks and wearing pointy hats, Glen would not only be cool with it, he'd keep our secret. You made a mistake, Paige. It happens. Don't let it rattle you. You know what the stakes are, and I know you won't let it happen again."

Paige regarded her middle sister carefully. Never in her life had Phoebe spoken to her so consolingly.

"You're being nice to me," Paige said. "I don't know what to do when you're nice to me."

Phoebe shrugged sadly. "I'm just trying to return the favor."

"But how can you be so sure everything's gonna be okay?"

"Because I know what it's like to make a really horrible mistake," Phoebe said grimly. "And trust me, Paige, you're nowhere even close to that category. This is gonna be fine. Glen is so completely dopey for you. He's got eyes for no one else. He'll keep all your secrets. And ours, too. You can trust him - just like I trust you not to slip up again."

Paige was so astonished she couldn't think of a word to say in reply.

"Okay, now," Phoebe coached. "Let's get rid of that nasty tension before we go join our company. A couple of good, deep, cleansing breaths. Okay? In - and out. Good. One more. Nice and deep. Let it out slowly."

As Paige released her breath in a long exhale, Phoebe regarded her baby sister carefully. "Better?"

Paige nodded gratefully. "Yeah. Thanks."

"Okay. Now, let's go sit with the boys, and find out what they know about the monster in the lake."

Darryl and Leo had already parked themselves in the two upholstered chairs, so Phoebe and Paige settled in side-by-side on the long couch.

"Before you get too worried, Paige, both Inspector Morris and I know that you and your sisters are witches," Leo attempted to console her.

Phoebe gave Leo a bemused look. "So, what is this, the secret that's not so secret?"

"We're going to try our best to make sure nobody outside this room knows about your magical powers," Leo vowed.

"Are we really in that much danger?" Paige asked.

Leo sighed. "You have no idea."

"Well, maybe it's time you gave us some idea, Leo," Phoebe said pointedly. "Starting with, how do we kill that thing in the lake."

"You're jumping a little ahead, Phoebe."

"I don't think so, Leo." Phoebe was adamant. "If we're really supposed to be these 'Charmed Ones', aren't we supposed to be getting rid of demons like that?"

Noting that Darryl shifted his weight uneasily at the mention of the Charmed Ones, Phoebe's glower darkened even further. "So, he knows about the prophecy too, does he?"

Paige took her sister's hand, silently indicating she should back off. Paige regarded Darryl with a puzzled expression for a long moment.

"Yes. He knows about us," she confirmed. "But he wants to help us. Oh, my God." She almost flinched, and her eyes filled with tears. "I'm so sorry for your loss," she said to Darryl.

"Thank you," Darryl nodded somberly.

"What?" Phoebe was utterly confused.

"Inspector Morris. He lost his partner. Andy. They were attacked by a demon. Less than a year ago. Andy was killed."

Darryl looked away for a moment, burying his emotions with a visible effort.

"This is personal for you," Paige said to Darryl. "You want us to learn how to use our powers, so we can help you track these things down and kill them."

"That's more like it," Phoebe nodded grimly.

"Now, you really are getting way ahead of yourself," Leo cautioned Paige.

"I'm sorry," Paige apologized. "I'm sorry to you too, Inspector Morris," she added. "I just received my powers recently, and - uhh - I really don't know quite how to make them work yet. Or how to turn them off, either."

Darryl Morris managed a somber smile. "It's quite all right, Miss Matthews. Kinda helps break the ice. And it's good to know we're all on the same page, where the monsters are concerned."

Piper came into the living room, carrying a tray with a large teapot and five cups and saucers.

"Hey, sounds like there's an interesting conversation already going on in here," she commented, setting down the tray on the low table.

"It's showing some promise," Phoebe allowed.

"Really." Piper began to pour tea into each of the china cups. "What did I miss?"

"Cliff notes version? Inspector Morris knows about us. And he wants to help us kill the demon in the lake."

"And we can trust him," Paige added shyly. "I kinda been inside his head. A little bit."

Piper didn't react to that admission. She finished pouring the tea, and then settled next to Paige on the couch. But as she sat down, she quickly left a comforting pat on Paige's thigh, to indicate she'd already been forgiven for her earlier transgression.

"Well, I won't lie, gentlemen," Piper declared, taking up her own teacup. "We can certainly use all the help we can get. So, you've seen this thing."

"Yeah." Darryl swallowed hard.

"That bad, huh?"

"It's pretty bad," Leo admitted.

"Well, don't keep us in suspense."

Leo sighed, and then dived in. "For starters, it can anthropomorphize. Only very powerful demons can do that. It seems to be able to shape and control all the water around it - literally change its form - which means, it can be a small as a teardrop, or a big as a lake."

"Terrific."

"It's basically off the power chart, too, in terms of anything I've ever seen before. And its locus of energy is like nothing I've ever encountered. I suspect if we were to attack it physically, it could separate itself into multiple forms, and cohere again into a single form."

"So, just blowing it up won't do the trick, then."

"I doubt it."

"Damn." Piper wasn't quite ready to admit the only thing she'd managed to do with her magical powers was to make things explode - unintentionally.

"So, how do we kill it?" Phoebe asked.

Leo bit his lip in frustration before answering. "I don't know," he admitted reluctantly.

"Well, come on, Leo," Piper urged. "You've seen other witches kill demons, right? How did they do it?"

Leo's expression turned very grave. "Most of them didn't have enough power to vanquish a demon."

"You mean, they all died trying," Phoebe said.

Leo didn't respond, but he didn't have to. The sisters exchanged some very uneasy glances.

"Are you saying we can't kill it?" Paige asked in a small voice.

"I'm suggesting that if there is any way at all to stop this thing, it will take all three of you. I don't if that would mean a spell, or a potion, or a curse, or -"

"Wait, we can cast curses?" Phoebe seemed intrigued by the suggestion.

"Trust me, Phoebe, that is not something you want to mess around with," Leo warned. "Curses are serious magic. Lots of people can be hurt by them. Including you."

"Well, this water demon has been around for years, even decades, right?" Paige looked to Darryl for a confirmation, and he nodded. "Maybe there's something in the Book -" Paige came to an abrupt halt, and looked at Piper fearfully. Piper gave her a reassuring smile.

"It's all right, Paige. Inspector Morris and Leo are in our circle of trust. For now," she said.

Darryl inclined his head slightly to Piper, to indicate he appreciated her willingness to accept him, as he knew only too well the risks entailed.

"Go ahead, Paige," Piper prompted her baby sister.

"Well, I just thought, if this thing has been around so long, maybe there's something about it in the Book of Shadows. Especially since Grams must have known about it. Maybe she left some information in the Book about it - something that could help us find a way to get rid of it. Or at least neutralize it."

"I'm not neutering this thing like a puppy," Phoebe declared angrily. "I want it dead."

"So do I," Piper nodded solemnly.

"Me, too," Darryl added. "Uhh, that is, if I get a vote."

Piper managed a grim smile. "We'll take that, Inspector, thank you."

"Darryl. Please call me Darryl."

"Well then, Darryl, you can drop the 'Miss Halliwell' and 'Miss Matthews'. Piper, Phoebe and Paige will do just fine. Still, Paige has a good idea. We can start our research here. The demon is part of our family history, so it's possible our grandmother left some notes behind. It's certainly worth looking for, anyway."

"I've got a whole dossier that I can bring over to you," Darryl offered. "Police records, forensic notes, crime scene documents. Maybe there's something in there that may help, too."

"That would be great, Darryl, thanks." Despite her recent tension, Piper managed to come up with a warm, friendly smile. "In fact, if you aren't doing anything tomorrow, we could go over any documents you have then. And I can make an early dinner for all of us. That invitation includes you, Leo."

Leo and Darryl exchanged glances.

"That works for me," Darryl agreed willingly.

"And me," Leo nodded. "Thanks, Piper."

"We're the ones who should be thanking you. You're going to help us get some closure on the loss of our family."

"Yeah, but this isn't just about us any more," Paige offered shyly. "I mean, we're not the only ones who've had their lives torn apart by this thing. And if we don't stop it, we won't be the last. It's not about revenge - or at least, not just about revenge. It's about making the world a safer place."

Leo positively beamed at her. "That's right, Paige. The Charmed Ones are meant to be the protectors of the innocent. That's the role you need to embrace. All of you."

"I'm not going to be able to keep my emotions out of this, Leo," Piper said quietly. "Yes. Paige is right. But I have to be honest. What's motivating me isn't the safety of others. It's vengeance."

Leo nodded soberly. "I understand. But if it helps, think about the people you'll be saving. Not the people you've lost. And yes, I do know how hard that is."

Piper looked at Leo for a long moment, and again, felt a small part of her frozen heart melting.

"No promises," she said, her voice slightly strained.

Leo gave her a subdued smile; that would have to do, for now.

"Okay," Piper let out a long sigh. "Looks like we have a plan. Or part of a plan, anyways. So let's do our homework tonight, we'll all meet here again tomorrow, and come up with a way to get rid of this thing, once and for all."

A few minutes later, Darryl and Leo were back out on the porch, zipping up jackets and buttoning coats.

"That was close," Darryl sighed in relief. "I thought for a moment there, we were gonna have to explain what we were doing at the lake in the first place."

"Well, fortunately, Paige was distracted by the image of the demon in your memory," Leo said. "But I don't think we can count on that happening again."

Darryl pulled on his gloves, wrinkling his nose. The winter's bite was returning to the air, as the sun was quickly slipping over the horizon. "Well, if Miss Matthews - Paige - knows we're looking into Sam Wilder's background, honesty is the best policy. He's a person of interest. But right now, no more than that. Maybe he's Paige's father, maybe he's not. Suspicion isn't proof."

"Whatever else he may be, he knows something about that demon," Leo said grimly. "So when we meet the sisters tomorrow, we should arrange another trip to the lake."

"You think that's wise?"

"I don't think that thing will show itself, if there's a large group of people around."

"You mean, you hope it won't."

"Its history has been to pick off people one by one, in isolation. It doesn't like to be seen."

"Yeah. I got that sense too. It wasn't just pissed because it missed claiming a victim. It's angry because now, there are witnesses. I don't know much about demons, Leo. But I do know, cornered animals do dangerous, unpredictable things. We need to be careful. Very, very careful."

"No arguments there. Meet you back here tomorrow?"

"Wouldn't miss it." A slow grin spread across Darryl's face. "They're really something, aren't they."

"Yeah. They are," Leo agreed solemnly.

"You need to be careful, too, partner," Darryl admonished his friend. "And not just around water."

Leo grinned ruefully. "Yeah. I'm finding that out."

A short time later, Piper was up in her bedroom, slowly transferring her clothes from a pile of brown moving boxes into the dresser and closet. Paige came to the doorway and knocked gently. Piper looked up and gave her baby sister a warm smile.

"Hey, Paige."

"Piper, I'm so sorry about what happened earlier. That was really stupid of me."

Piper dropped her handful of clothes onto the bed and gave her sister a quick, reassuring hug.

"It's all right. I think you understand we need to be circumspect."

"I do, I do," Paige assured her. "It won't happen again, Piper, I promise."

"I'm not even worried about it, Paige." She gave her sister another smile as she released her from the tight embrace. "Go talk to your boy. Bring him into our circle."

Paige's eyes went wide with joy. "Really? I can tell him I'm a witch?"

"He's your responsibility now," Piper admonished her sternly, wagging a finger. "You have to clean up after all his messes, as well as yours."

"I will, I will," Paige promised, enraptured.

Piper couldn't help grinning at her baby sister's obvious delight. "Go on, get out of here," she told her. "And don't forget to invite Glen to join us for dinner tomorrow."

Paige started for the door, but then hurried back to Piper and gave her an exuberant bear hug. "I love you," she declared breathlessly, kissing her cheek, and then scampered out the door.

Piper shook her head, still grinning. She sat down on the edge of her bed, and looked over at the picture of her grandmother, which was sitting in a frame atop the dresser.

"What would you do?" Piper asked aloud. Penny Grams just smiled benevolently at her granddaughter and said nothing.

"I don't know how you did it, Grams," Piper sighed, her smile turning sad. "You took care of all of us. And your heart must have been broken. It must have been. I can't even imagine taking care of the three little kids, all alone, after your daughter died. I'm just so grateful that somehow you managed it." Tears began to well in her eyes. "I miss you, Grams," Piper whispered. "I really, really miss you. And mom. And Prue. I miss you all so much."

There was another knock at her bedroom door, and startled, Piper looked up to see this time it was Phoebe standing there.

"Hey, I just saw Paige take off like her ass was on fire, so I guess she's off to see Glen…" Phoebe began, but then saw her sister weeping. "Hey, are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," Piper said, as Phoebe sat on the edge of the bed beside her and hugged her close. "I was just thinking - how hard it must have been for Grams, to take care of us all those years."

"Yeah," Phoebe agreed sadly. "And I made it so much worse than it needed to be. I hope she knows, somehow, how sorry I am for that."

"I think she does," Piper decided, wiping the tears from her eyes. "And I think she'd be just as happy as I am, that you came home."

Piper gave her sister a quick peck on the cheek, and they sat together for a while in companionable silence, holding each other close. After a few moments, Phoebe regarded her sister with obvious concern.

"Your eyes are still leaking," Phoebe told her sister solemnly. "I think it's time for another dose of hot cocoa."

"Oh, hell, yes," Piper agreed, giggling slightly. "Great idea."

"Marshmallows?" Phoebe asked hopefully.

"Well, duh," Piper assured her, standing up. She held out her hand. "Come on, sis, let's go celebrate our first official night as a family in our new home."

Arm in arm, the two sisters made their way towards the stairs.


	3. Chapter 3

It was barely after six in the evening, but the sky was already pitch black; a gentle but biting wind began to push down from the north, ensuring another night would pass in San Francisco with temperatures close to freezing. After leaving Halliwell manor, Paige Matthews hurried directly to the hotel where her boyfriend Glen was staying. Their temporary separation had only kindled their desire for one another, and since they had spent the better part of the day helping Paige's older sister Piper move into the manor, they finally had an opportunity to be alone together. They retired to Glen's room, hung the 'Do Not Disturb' sign on the door, and proceeded to celebrate their reunion properly.

When the lovers had finally brought themselves to a state of mutual exhaustion, they turned to conversation. They lay side by side, facing each other, hands clasped, half propped up on their elbows. Piper had given Paige permission to share the family secret with Glen, and after swearing the young man to secrecy, Paige related all the extraordinary events of the last week and a half: she told him all about moving into the manor, finding the Book of Shadows, discovering that she and her sisters were witches, and casting the spell that had unlocked their magical powers. For the moment, she glossed over the real reason for Darryl's visit to the family earlier in the day, as she was still having a hard time believing in the existence of demons herself. As Glen listened attentively, Paige realized that her boyfriend was not only fine with it - he wasn't even surprised.

"Seriously, you don't think any of this is off the charts weird?" Paige asked him anxiously. "Even for me?"

Glen gave her a reassuring smile. "Let's just say, it explains a lot."

"Oh, come on," Paige scoffed.

"No, I mean it, Paige," Glen protested sincerely. "I may not have known you were a witch, but I've always known you were magic. Why do you think I like you so much? I've seen you do magical things for people practically every day, damn near miraculous things, and you don't even notice. I don't think you're aware that you do them. But you do. You are the most amazing person I've ever met. Hell, I'll even say, if I live another eighty years, I'll never meet anyone as amazing as you."

"I thought you just liked me because I was crazy," Paige teased.

"No," Glen shook his head in mock solemnity, and Paige raised an eyebrow.

"No?"

"I love your crazy. It's a good crazy."

"Crazy is good?"

"Well… with you, it is," Glen grinned.

"Oh, well, thanks for that," Paige ruffed in mock annoyance.

"No, I mean it, Paige. You're always saying you're a little bit 'off' - and I think you're 'off' in the best way possible. You get things like nobody else does. It's like you've got second sight, or something."

"Well, as it turns out, I do - sort of. It's part of my magical inheritance."

"And it's so cool that your sisters get it, too. You guys seem really tight now. You and Piper were always good, but now it's like you and Phoebe finally hit it off. It's so great to see that."

"It feels great," Paige admitted. "And yeah, when Phoebe came home, I was a little worried. But she wants to be around me now. She wants us to have the whole sister thing. It makes me feel -" she paused a moment, searching for the right words. "It makes me feel like we're really a family this time."

"Maybe that's part of the magic, too?"

"Could be, I don't know," Paige admitted. "I just know, when I'm with my sisters, I just feel this… energy… between us - it makes me feel like I could do anything."

"You've always been like that," Glen repeated. "You just never noticed. Maybe finding out you're a witch finally called it to your attention."

A sly grin crossed Paige's face. "So if I have to start wearing all black, casting spells and flying around on a broomstick…"

"Won't change a thing," Glen vowed. "I'll still be the luckiest guy on the face of the earth, because I still belong to the most amazing woman on the face of the earth. My amazing, crazy, magical Paige."

"You goofball." They shared a quick kiss.

"But you're okay with a goofball, right?"

"Yeah. I am," Paige answered, a carnal tenderness in her voice. "You know, a girl could get spoiled with all that sweet talk," she pointed out.

Glen grinned at her. "I'll risk it."

"So, you're really thinking of moving to San Francisco?"

"Why not? The agency doesn't really care what office I work out of. I'm kind of perpetually on the road anyway. But if you're planning to stay here long term, then, yeah, I would too. It wouldn't make any sense for me to stay in LA, if my reason for living is here."

Paige rolled her eyes, but she was still pleased by the compliment.

"I've really missed you," she confessed, almost plaintively.

"Yeah. I've missed you too."

Paige gave her boyfriend a distinctly lustful smile. "So… should we grab something to eat, before I decide to cast my next evil spell on you?"

Glen returned the smile willingly. "Did you have something in mind?"

"Not really. I guess I don't feel like going out and spending a lot of money in a restaurant. I don't start my new job until Monday. We could go back to the manor," she suggested. "Raid the kitchen. Food's free there. If we're lucky, Piper will have some yummy leftovers in the fridge."

"She is an awesome cook," Glen allowed with a grin.

"You could spend the night at my place, instead of this sterile hotel suite," Paige coaxed, and then she made a face. "You'd have to put up with my crummy 1970s wallpaper, though. I haven't exactly had time to redecorate."

Glen chuckled. "Paige… I really don't care what your bedroom looks like. I probably won't even notice," he admitted.

"I wish I'd known you were staying here, before you came up," Paige sighed. "Coulda saved you the cost of a room for one night, at least."

"Paige, really, it's fine. Here or there, it's all good. I just wanna be where you are. That's all that matters to me."

"That's good," Paige replied. "Because I want to be where you are, too."

She leaned in towards him, and the lovers shared a long, lingering kiss.

* * *

It was somewhat later in the evening, and Piper Halliwell and her younger sister Phoebe were parked together on the wide couch in the living room. Piper had brought the family grimoire, the Book of Shadows, downstairs in order to search for any information concerning the water demon. While Phoebe had promised to help, in less than ten minutes she had sprawled out along the length of the couch, snuggled against her big sister and snoring gently, her cheek on Piper's shoulder. With some difficulty, Piper managed to set the massive tome on the low coffee table without disturbing Phoebe's slumber. She was partly trapped by Phoebe's dead weight, but Piper had no desire to free herself and wake her sister. Phoebe had slept a great deal ever since returning from New York, and Piper was worried. Phoebe had been uncharacteristically reticent about her experiences, but whatever had happened there, it was clear those events still troubled her - in fact, had almost traumatized her. Even now, Phoebe's sleep seemed troubled, as if she having a bad dream or reliving an unpleasant memory. As Phoebe stirred slightly, whimpering in her sleep, Piper inclined her head and maternally kissed Phoebe's forehead. Phoebe sighed, as if she sensed her big sister was near and would protect her. Phoebe's body relaxed, and she returned to the deep, regular breathing that indicated she had moved into a dreamless sleep. Piper watched Phoebe for a time; not exactly anxious, but not settled, either. With a sigh, she forced herself to relax, and let her own thoughts wander where they would.

Ostensibly, Phoebe had gone to New York in search of their father, Victor Bennett; and while she had found him and talked to him, whatever was bothering Phoebe probably had little or nothing to do with their wayward parent. Bennett had walked out on the family years ago, when Piper and Phoebe were both just children. They had no relationship with him, really; and while Phoebe was clearly disappointed by Bennett's rejection, that did not seem to be the true thorn in her heart. Whatever that real pain was, she had yet to speak of it candidly. Piper idly wondered how she could possibly broach the subject in such a way as to keep Phoebe's trust, and convince her to confide in her sisters. With each passing day, Phoebe seemed to be more relaxed and open; Piper hoped it was only a matter of time before she could draw Phoebe out and get the truth from her. Now that both her sisters had returned home, Piper had no intentions of losing either of them ever again.

Piper heard the front door open, followed a soft giggle she knew to be Paige. She could hear distant ululations of conversation, too faint to be understood; Paige must have brought Glen home with her. Piper glanced at her watch. It was just half past ten.

Sure enough, moments later, Paige and Glen entered the living room. Piper quickly brought a finger to her lips, pleading for quiet. Paige saw her sisters cuddled together on the couch, Phoebe sound asleep, and quickly made an "aww, it's cute" expression. Piper wrinkled her nose and waved her hand dismissively at her sister in a gesture of mock annoyance. Glen gave a simple wave of greeting, and Paige, doing her best to stymie a cascade of giggles, mimed that they were off to help themselves to dinner. Piper nodded, and Paige and Glen left the room, trying to make as little noise as possible. Piper sighed and let her weight settle into the couch.

For all the little annoyances that came with three sisters living under the same roof, Piper realized she was happier now than she'd been in… how long? She wasn't even sure. So much of the past two years had simply been horrific, but even before then… Piper realized she almost had to go back to the summer four years ago, just before Paige left for LA, to feel anything remotely that good. Grams was still alive then, and in apparent good health; and even though Phoebe was still estranged, Paige and Piper had more or less bonded for life over those three long summer months. They had spent nearly every day together, and it wasn't even that they were doing anything special - just shopping, doing chores, running errands - and yet, somehow, in Piper's memory that was a giddy, happy time - they hadn't a care in the world, only plans for their futures. Piper was going to become a master chef and open her own restaurant. Paige was going to become a social worker, with a dual masters in education and psychology. They even vowed only to take husbands if the other approved.

Piper grinned wistfully at the thought. The old saying came to her mind, _If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans._ Life certainly had had its share of hairpin turns for Piper and her sisters. And yet, she couldn't help but think, for all the adversity and unplanned detours along the way, she was happy and content where they had all ended up.

As she lay there thinking, Piper could hear intermittent noises coming from the kitchen - nothing loud or obtrusive, just the occasional clink of glasses or the muted thunk of plates being arranged on the table. Paige and Glen were doing their best to keep the noise to a minimum. As Piper grinned to herself, something caught her attention from the corner of her eye, a sense of movement just at the edge of her peripheral vision. She looked over at the coffee table, and then, to her dumbfounded amazement, the Book of Shadows - that incredibly large, incredibly heavy book - moved. It moved. By itself. Pushed itself about an inch to one side.

As Piper watched with widening eyes, the Book actually began to lift itself up off the coffee table. It wasn't a sudden movement, or violent; it just began to serenely rise up into the air. As Piper's mouth fell open in astonishment, other objects in the room also began to float upwards - couch pillows, the TV remote, an empty coffee mug. Pictures on the walls began to gently tug away from the nails that held them fast against the walls.

There was a yelp of surprise coming from the kitchen, and a clatter of dishes; in a moment, Paige reappeared in the living room, her eyes wide and round. Glen followed a moment later.

"What's going on?" Paige hissed in a whisper.

Before Piper could answer, Phoebe - still sound asleep - made a slight whimpering moan, and clutched more tightly to Piper. Piper frowned in puzzlement, then looked up at Paige.

"I'm not sure, but I think… Phoebe's doing it," she whispered back.

"What? Piper, my dinner is floating in mid-air!" Paige was trying to keep her voice low, but she was slightly unnerved, which gave extra volume to her voice.

"Everything's going walkabout," Glen added grimly.

"Hang on," Piper whispered back. "Let's not panic yet, people." She turned to Phoebe.

"Phoebe, sweetie?" She murmured in the softest voice she could manage. "Can you please put all your stuff away now?"

Phoebe made a little soft moan, as if she'd heard Piper speak, and shifted her weight slightly, moving towards wakefulness. Slowly, the free-floating objects settled back down, perhaps not quite in the exact same places, but they came to rest near their original positions undamaged. The shifting pictures settled back on the walls and fell still, no longer trying to free themselves.

Paige looked around, and sighed with relief.

Phoebe stirred, and slowly lifted her head, blinking open her sleep-swollen eyes.

"What's going on?" she mumbled.

"You fell asleep on the couch again," Piper informed her.

"I did?" Phoebe slowly pushed herself up on one elbow, trying to get her sight to focus. "Oh, crap, I did."

"And left a nice puddle of drool on my shirt, too," Piper added with a tolerating smile.

"Sorry." She slowly sat up and looked around in bewilderment. "Everyone's staring at me," she noted. "That's not good, right?"

"Well, if you hadn't…" Paige began to reply, but Piper quickly held up a hand, pleading for silence. Paige clammed up.

"Come on," Piper declared, sitting up herself and taking Phoebe's elbow. "If you're gonna sleep, you can do it in your own bed. Trust me, sleeping on the couch is not a habit you want to get into. Come on," she urged gently.

Phoebe slowly got to her feet, with Piper's help, and they made their way for the stairs. Paige turned to Glen.

"Sweetie, would you mind finishing getting dinner ready?" she pleaded. "I'll be right back."

"Sure." He cast a quick glance at Piper and Phoebe headed up the stairs. "Uhh… does this sort of thing happen a lot?"

"First time for us," Paige assured him, and then bounded away after her sisters.

A few moments later, Piper had Phoebe safely in her own bedroom. Still noticeably groggy, Phoebe allowed her sister to quickly undress her and tuck her into bed. As Piper drew up the blankets, she leaned over and left a kiss on Phoebe's cheek.

"I'm not eight," Phoebe mumbled, already more than halfway asleep again.

"Of course you're not," Piper murmured. "Sleep tight."

She put out the light, and carefully closed the bedroom behind her. As she turned to Paige, who was standing nearby in the hallway, she finally let her worry show.

"Is she all right?" Paige asked anxiously.

"I think so," Piper nodded. "I hope so. Are you sensing anything from her?"

Paige shook her head. "No. Actually, mostly what I sense from Phoebe is, she feels safe around us."

"Meaning, she doesn't feel safe anywhere else?"

The sisters exchanged a worried glance. "So, what do we do?" Paige asked.

"For tonight? Nothing," Piper replied. "We've got Sleeping Beauty tucked safely into bed, so I'm hoping we're done with the antigravity zone for now. Go finish your dinner, Paige."

"What are you going to do?"

"What I started out to do, look through the Book of Shadows to see what I can find out about our water demon."

"Do you need any help?"

"Not with reading," Piper managed a grin. "If I find anything interesting, Paige, I promise, I'll let you know. Go, spend some time with your sweetie. There's nothing going on that can't wait until morning."

"You're sure?"

"Yes, yes, I'm sure," Piper made a shooing gesture at her baby sister. "We have all day tomorrow to worry about demons and floating dinners. Go on now, scoot!"

Paige started to turn away, but she gave Piper one last backward glance. "You'll call me if you need anything?"

"You are always the first person I call," Piper answered, with complete honesty.

Paige gave her sister a grateful smile, then hurried down the stairs. With a sigh, Piper went into her own room, to change into her bedclothes.

* * *

It was a clear and bitterly cold Sunday morning in March, but it was, for all intents and purposes, the end of winter; a high pressure system was building over San Francisco, bringing with it some long hoped for springtime warmth. Piper Halliwell was oblivious to the changes in the weather. She was sitting in the atrium as the sun rose, a half-emptied pot of tea now gone cold on the table, the Book of Shadows laid open to a particular page. Piper was staring out the window, staring at nothing, really. After several hours of searching, Piper had finally found the entry she sought, and what she found terrified her.

A short time later, Phoebe Halliwell entered the atrium, now dressed in a t-shirt, sweat pants and woolen sweat socks, stretching and yawning luxuriously.

"Man, I slept great. I haven't slept that well in weeks," she announced happily. "Hey, am I hallucinating, or did you actually tuck me into bed last night?"

Piper didn't answer immediately, and Phoebe's look of contentment slowly changed to a worried frown. "Honey, are you okay?"

Piper finally sighed, as if shaking herself back to life; she gave the large book a desultory push in Phoebe's direction. Phoebe bent over the table to squint at the book. Without her glasses, she couldn't read the text, but the title at least was clear enough for her to make out: _The Water Demon._ She recognized the signature purple color of the ink: this was an entry that had been made by her grandmother.

"You found it!" Phoebe exclaimed.

"You need to read it," Piper said simply.

After staring in concern at her sister for a few seconds, Phoebe hurried away to retrieve her reading glasses; she returned in moments, sitting herself in the chair next to Piper's and pulling the book over to her.

"The Demon of the Water uses the very forces of nature," Phoebe read aloud, hastily adjusting the reading glasses that were threatening to slip down to the end of her nose. "It cannot be vanquished or even contained. It has claimed the lives of countless innocents, and several witches, going back as far as history has records." Phoebe looked up at Piper, who was continuing to stare out the window without response. After waiting a moment, Phoebe continued: "No known force, magical or otherwise, can combat it. It is the many that can become one, or the one that can become many. Wherever it joins with water, it is present. It prefers to kill slowly, and it delights in suffering. The more souls it feeds upon, the stronger it grows. Any good witch who has ever faced it has paid with her life. Its habitat should be avoided at all costs. It is the essence of pure evil."

A description of the lake and its location followed, but no other information - and certainly nothing suggesting any way the demon might be killed. Phoebe pulled off her glasses and looked at Piper in dismay.

"That's it?" she exclaimed. "No spell, no incantation, nothing?"

"That's it," Piper said woodenly, still staring out the window.

"But there has to be a way to kill it. Why doesn't she tell us how to kill it?"

"My guess is, she never found a way." Piper finally managed to reach for her teacup, and took a slow sip of the now ice-cold brew.

"But Grams wouldn't leave us with just _this,"_ Phoebe protested. "It doesn't even sound like her."

"It's her writing."

"Yeah, but this is - I don't know, it sounds like she just gave up. Grams never gave up on anything."

"At a guess…" Piper shifted her weight in her chair, and looked her sister directly for the first time. "I think Grams wrote that less than two weeks after mom died. Probably just a few days before bringing Paige home to live with us."

"Oh, my God," Phoebe murmured, shocked. "Does that mean there's really no way to kill it?"

"If it lives, it can die," Piper answered grimly. "But it looks like we'll have to find the method on our own."

"I can't believe Grams would just turn her back on this," Phoebe shook her head.

"I can," Piper said quietly. "You and I both know what it's like to lose a mother, and a sister. But I think for Grams, it was worse. She lost her daughter. And one of her grandchildren. I've been thinking about this all night. I can't even imagine the sort of pain Grams must have lived with, every single day, since they died. I won't - I can't - blame her. She lost her child. What kind of fight can you possibly have left in you, after losing your own child."

She paused for a moment, to wipe away the tears that were threatening to spill over her cheeks. "Grams did the best she could. My guess is, she couldn't find a way to kill this thing, and she suddenly had three small, very frightened children to care for. She chose to look after us. I can't even think what that decision must have cost her. Sometimes the only real choice is to walk away from the fight."

"Is that what you're saying we should do?" Phoebe asked. "Walk away?"

Piper looked at her sister, a cold rage building up inside her. "Hell, no," she declared. "We are killing this thing, Phoebe. Grams may have had other responsibilities, but not us. This - this is ours. We find this thing's weak spot. And we hit it. And we keep hitting it, until it dies. Until it can never threaten anyone else. Ever again."

"All right, then," Phoebe nodded in grim satisfaction. "Do you want me to wake Paige?"

"No." Piper shook her head. "Let her and Glen sleep. When Darryl and Leo get here this afternoon, this will be a council of war. We might as well let the rest of our family have a few hours peace, before the war begins."

Wearily, Piper stood up. "You're on your own for breakfast," she announced. "I'm going upstairs to get a couple of hours of sleep. I'll be back down in time to start dinner. If you hear from either Leo or Darryl, tell them that dinner - and the war council - begins at 1 PM, sharp."

As Piper began to turn away, Phoebe called after her.

"Piper? Is there anything I can do for you?"

Piper turned back and gave her sister the barest hint of a smile. "When this is all over," she said, "I expect you to tell me about everything that happened to you in New York."

Phoebe felt a thrill of dread passing between her shoulder blades. She swallowed hard, and then nodded.

"I will," she promised.

"Good." Piper turned back towards the stairs again. "Get ready, sis. It's time we learned how to be witches."


	4. Chapter 4

It was nearly noon, and Piper Halliwell was busy in the kitchen, preparing a simple meal of Cajun-rubbed salmon, rice and steamed vegetables. Piper had only slept a handful of hours that morning, but she worked energetically, paying almost single-minded attention to the task at hand. Far from seeming anxious or tense, she radiated a deep, abiding serenity, carrying the demeanor of someone who has made a difficult decision and was completely content with it.

Piper's sisters hadn't exuded such calm, at first. Earlier that morning, when Paige had come downstairs to filch a cup of coffee, Phoebe urgently guided her to the atrium, and let her read her grandmother's entry in the Book of Shadows. Paige was so frightened by what she read there that tears came to her eyes. But when Piper emerged from her bedroom a short time later, she seemed to intuit the near panic of her two younger sisters, and sat with them in the sunlit atrium for a few minutes, clasping their hands while she comforted them.

"It's gonna be okay," Piper assured them, in the same serene tone. "We're going to get through this. We'll figure out what to do, and we'll do it."

Paige's gift of empathy allowed her to see that her big sister was completely at peace. "You really mean that," she marveled, her fear melting away beside the warmth of her sister's quiet courage.

"Did you have another midnight visit with Prue on a rocky beach?" Phoebe asked only half-jokingly.

Piper smiled. "No," she answered. "I just realized what the Warren prophecy meant. We weren't given these gifts to lose them. We've been Charmed for a reason. And that reason isn't to die. We're going to fulfill the prophecy by doing what we were meant to do. We stand up to the evil, and we vanquish it. We're meant to make the world safe. For ourselves, and our children, and everyone else. And that's what we'll do."

Piper's conviction was so absolute that Phoebe and Paige felt their own courage flickering back to life, filling all of them with renewed determination. And as before, they literally felt the magical energy passing between them as they held hands. Even as the three sisters were still struggling to accept that magic was real, what they felt couldn't be denied. They began dimly to grasp what Leo Wyatt had been suggesting to them all along: that being Charmed was not something that had happened to them - it was simply a new way of perceiving the world, and with it, all the possibilities they could never have considered before.

For a brief interval, the sisters went their separate ways. Paige went upstairs to turn her still-sleeping boyfriend out of bed; Phoebe reapplied herself to looking through the Book of Shadows for any spells that might be used against a demon composed (for all practical purposes) entirely of water; and Piper, of course, went into the kitchen. Instead of tension and fear running through the household, there was now quiet determination, and application of effort towards a common goal: vanquishing the evil - and coming home safe.

Darryl Morris and Leo Wyatt arrived at the manor at half past noon, just as Piper was putting the salmon flanks into the broiler. She bade them all to make themselves comfortable in the living room for a few minutes, and Darryl carefully unpacked a large box of file folders filled with police records, setting them out on the coffee table in roughly chronological order. Glen and Paige quickly set up the dining room table with place settings, and Phoebe disappeared upstairs just long enough to freshen up before joining their company at the table.

The early dinner was a surprisingly light hearted affair. Everyone innately understood that the reason they had gathered together was to discuss something both terrifying and upsetting, and they deliberately kept the conversation at the dinner table confined to more sociable topics. The sisters began to grill Darryl relentlessly about his private life, and the detective seemed to accept the interrogation in good-natured stride.

"It's fine," he assured them. "We're getting into a foxhole together. You want to know who you're sharing it with."

Leo Wyatt flinched almost imperceptibly at Darryl's offhand remark, but Paige noticed, and frowned slightly. If Leo really was as old as he said, then almost certainly he had seen service in at least one, if not both, world wars. She briefly wondered what other kinds of pain their guardian angel had endured over what must have been several lifetimes - and then forced herself to stay in the moment, and pay attention to the conversation that was unfolding.

"So, you're married," Phoebe was observing with mock dismay.

Darryl smiled. "Just over ten years." Knowing he'd be asked, he produced a photograph from his wallet and handed it around.

"Oh, my God, she's gorgeous!" Phoebe gushed as she looked at the picture.

"What's her name?" Piper asked.

"Sheila."

"Kids?"

Darryl shook his head sadly.

"Why not?" Paige exclaimed, dismayed.

Darryl shrugged, not wanting to delve too deeply into a painful topic. "It's not that we don't want kids. It's just… when you're a cop, you have to consider… other things."

"Like the fact you might not come home one day," Piper said quietly.

Darryl digested that remark in a long silence before finally nodding. "Yeah," he admitted.

"That's what happened to your partner."

"My first partner. Andy Trudeau," Darryl sighed. "We were both rookies the same year, and up until a year and a half ago, he was the only partner I'd ever worked a beat with. We even both made inspector the same year. We were a good team."

"You still miss him," Paige observed somberly.

"Every day," Darryl agreed.

"And the demon who killed him -"

"Still out there. Somewhere."

Phoebe put her fork down, considering. "After we get rid of this demon," she said quietly, "Would you like some help hunting down the demon that killed your partner?"

Darryl regarded her for a long moment, in part because the question surprised him; but also because it was obvious that Phoebe was in deadly earnest.

"Oh, hell, yes," he answered emphatically.

"Well, then, inspector, when we're done with the issue at hand, you and I have some business to discuss."

"I can't wait."

"Well, I can," Piper broke in. "Since everyone's obviously done with dinner, and since we're all talking about demons now, let me put on some coffee - and then, Darryl, we'll go over your files and see what we can learn about our current monster from hell. Let's take this one demon at a time, please."

"Agreed," Darryl nodded.

The next two hours passed quickly as Piper and her sisters pored over all of Darryl's documents, but at the end of that time, the results had been fruitless. There simply wasn't any more information that shed light on any weakness the demon might possess. Piper put down the last file folder with a heavy sigh.

"This is pointless," she grumbled. "A slew of unsolved murder cases going back decades, and there's nothing here. Nothing."

Darryl nodded sympathetically. "More than one detective had his career busted by this. We knew it was something in the water. We knew it sure as day. But we couldn't find it, let alone stop it."

"Yeah, it's not like you could take a bucket of water into an interrogation room for questioning," Phoebe pointed out.

"Was there anything at all in the Book of Shadows?" Piper asked.

Phoebe shook her head sadly. "I'm sorry, Piper, I couldn't find anything that relates to a demon made of water. This thing seems to be unique, even in demon circles."

"Then what do we do?" Paige asked. "If the information we have here doesn't help, what do we do next?"

Leo and Darryl exchanged an uncomfortable glance.

"What is it?" Piper asked, noting the expression that passed between them.

There was an embarrassed, awkward silence for a few moments. Leo gave Darryl another terse look, and the older man nodded.

"We think we know someone who could help," he admitted.

All three sisters straightened up in full attention.

"Well, who is it?" Phoebe asked.

"And why didn't you bring him?" Piper seconded.

"Yeah, well…" Leo shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "We didn't bring him, because… we're still trying to find him."

Paige frowned; she could intuit that both men were trying to suppress something. "What's his name?" she asked pointedly.

Darryl paused for a moment. "Wilder," he answered finally. "Sam Wilder."

Paige shook her head; the name meant nothing to her. But she could still sense both men holding back. "So, where do we find this Sam Wilder?"

Again, Leo and Darryl shared an aggrieved glance with one another.

"There's one place we know he's sure to turn up," Leo admitted.

Paige's eyes went wide. "The lake. He's living at the lake!"

"Yeah."

"Well, then what are we waiting for?" Phoebe leapt to her feet.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Darryl protested, holding up both hands in a placating gesture. "There's a very good reason we don't want to just go poking around down there."

"Why not?" Paige asked. "I can sense you think he's been at the lake - and apparently unharmed - for some time. You've even seen him there once already. So why shouldn't we go there to find him?"

"Don't you remember what you saw in our memories?" Leo answered. "That demon is still there, and still very active."

"Yes, but this man Wilder seems to be able to stay around the lake area without any harm coming to him," Piper said, her interest piqued.

"We don't know what the relationship is between Wilder and the demon," Darryl pointed out. "And we certainly don't want to put any of you in harm's way."

"Yeah, but isn't this what they're meant to do?" This was the first time Glen had spoken up. "They're witches, right? And not just any witches. They're like - Wonder Women, or something," he faltered, the analogy failing him. Paige giggled slightly.

"That's sweet, Glen," she grinned at him.

"Yes, well, you ladies may have extraordinary powers -" Darryl started to say.

"Which you haven't learned how to control yet," Leo butted in.

"But you're all still mortal, and we're not about to place any of you in that kind of danger. It's not worth it."

"Yes, but you think this guy really can help," Phoebe pointed out.

"I think it's time we went to the lake," Piper decided. Before any of the men could object, she added, "Everything we've read about this demon says it attacks in stealth. Never appearing before any large group. If there's five of us -"

"Six," Glen corrected her. "I'm coming, too."

"Don't be ridiculous, Glen."

"I'm not. I told you, Piper, I'm serious about being with Paige. And that means, if she's in danger, then I've got her back. Even if that means putting myself in danger too. I want to protect her. To protect all of you. You're not leaving me out of this."

Glen was so sincerely adamant that Piper could only smile. "All right, then," she conceded. "Six of us. If nothing else, Glen, you can drive the getaway car if things go south."

She turned to Paige. "I approve," she said quietly, and Paige's face lit up with a wide, radiant smile, remembering the sisters had solemnly agreed to approve each other's choice of husbands.

"We go to the lake," Piper continued. "We find Wilder. We find out what he knows. And then, we kill this thing. Once and for all."

"That's the problem!" Leo pointed out, almost in anguish. "You don't know how to kill it!"

"No, but Wilder might. If nothing else, we need to recon the area. If we're going to do battle out there, then I want to see the terrain. I don't want to rely on childhood memories."

Piper had made up her mind, and her two sisters nodded their solemn agreement. Leo and Darryl shared another dismayed glance.

"This is a really bad idea," Leo pointed out.

"Do you have a better one?" Piper asked pointedly. Leo stared at the floor, crestfallen.

"All right, then," Piper declared, standing up. "Ten minutes. Get what you need. Then we're headed to the lake."

The drive to the lake was made in uncomfortable silence. The men sat as still as stone, their misgivings made obvious by the deep, worried frowns on their faces. The three sisters sat together in the back seat, clasping hands, trying to fight off the quiet fear that nipped incessantly around the edges of their psyches. Only Glen seemed unperturbed, but he was concentrating on driving, and confined his sole attention to that task.

It was late in the afternoon by the time Piper's dark SUV pulled into the weed-encroached parking lot at the top of the ridge. Darryl and Leo shifted uncomfortably in their seats, remembering only too vividly what had happened on their previous visit to this spot.

Everyone disembarked slowly and reluctantly. As before, Leo noted the unnatural stillness. As soon as the sisters emerged from the vehicle, they huddled together, their unease growing exponentially.

"Oh, my God," Phoebe murmured, shocked.

"What? What is it?" Glen frowned at their reaction. For all he could see, there was simply a tranquil lake glinting in the late afternoon sun, barely a few hundred feet away.

"You feel that?" Paige almost whispered to her sisters.

Over the last several days, the sisters had finally grown accustomed to seeing magical creatures almost everywhere they looked - but in this space, not only had the natural creatures abandoned it, so had the supernatural ones. There was no movement or life at all. No birdsong, no buzz of insects, no rustle of squirrels or foxes in the underbrush, no gnomes, no fairies, nothing. Save for the trees, the area surrounding the lake was as still and silent as a desert. And even the trees leaned away from the lake, giving the impression that if they could, they would uproot themselves from the spot and run - as fast and far as possible to get away from a source of relentless, implacable evil.

Glen began to secure the vehicle, but Leo grabbed his arm. "No," he said quietly, shaking his head. Glen frowned in puzzlement.

"We might need to get away from here in a hurry. Stay with the car. Leave the motor running."

Glen looked at Leo, bemused. "You're serious."

"Yes, I am."

"Getaway car for real?" He glanced back down at the lake apprehensively. "You're sure it's safe to go down there?"

"It's not safe," Leo assured him grimly.

"But if you're going down there -"

"I can get the girls back to the ridge in seconds. I can't explain, but trust me, Glen, I can. But if that happens, then I need you to be ready to floor that gas pedal."

Glen was clearly discomfited by the idea of leaving Paige in danger, and she separated from her sisters long enough to bestow a long, reassuring kiss on her boyfriend.

"It's all right," she murmured, stroking his cheek. "This is how I want you to protect me."

"By letting you go into danger by yourself?"

"No, by being ready to spirit me away at the first sign of trouble. I'm counting on you to keep a sharp lookout, Glen." Her smile turned mischievous. "And to fix me a good stiff drink when this is all over. I have my sisters and a guardian angel to watch over me down there," she added, trying desperately to soothe his worry. "But you're the only one I want taking me home."

She kissed him again, more urgently this time, and despite his misgivings, Glen acceded reluctantly to his supporting role.

"You be careful," he insisted, and his tone of voice assured Paige that she meant everything to him. She smiled.

"We'll be back soon," she promised, leaving one last kiss on his lips. She returned to her sisters, and the three clasped hands, not wanting to be apart for a moment while they remained in this accursed space.

"Shall we go?"

Phoebe shrank back. "I'm - scared," she admitted after a moment's hesitation.

Piper smiled tolerantly. "Good. That means you're not nuts." She gave her sisters' hands a gentle squeeze. "All right. Let's go. Keep your eyes open for anything. Not just our lurking demon. Take note of everything you see. This is going to be our battleground. We need to know the lay of the land."

They made their way down the steep path carefully, mindful of the treacherous footing. As they reached the base, where the path widened out into its graded, pebbled form, they looked up in astonishment to see a man standing there, watching them warily. He was dressed in a checked flannel shirt, jeans and work boots - all as careworn and weatherbeaten as his bearded face. He regarded them with something very nearly like despair.

"I just couldn't keep you away from here, could I?" said Sam Wilder, with a resigned sigh.


	5. Chapter 5

Sam Wilder regarded his unwelcome visitors with a humorless smile. "Well, you're here now," he grumbled irritably. "So, all I can hope for is to somehow convince you to turn around, go straight home, and not get yourselves killed today."

"Sam Wilder?" Darryl Morris still intended to make an official identification before having any discussion with the man.

"That's me. Or, rather, that used to be me."

Leo Wyatt frowned at the disconcerting use of the past tense. "Sam, we're here to -"

"I know why _you're_ here," Wilder cut him off abruptly. "What I want to know is, why did you have to bring _them?"_ His sweeping gesture indicated the three sisters. "Are you out of your minds? Why did you have to bring women into this place of - of…"

He trailed off as he caught sight of Paige Matthews, and the words died in his throat. He stared at her, dumbfounded. Paige, not yet understanding why Wilder had any special interest in her, shifted uncomfortably under his stare.

Leo and Darryl exchanged a terse glance. The evidence they possessed indicating that Wilder was Paige's long lost father was circumstantial at best - but now, the evidence was written all over the older man's face. There was no mistaking his reaction - or the reason for it.

Wilder turned back to the men angrily. "And why did you have to bring _her_ here?" He demanded in a near shout.

"We brought the sisters because they can fix this," Leo said simply.

Piper decided it was time for proper introductions. "Mister… Wilder, is it?" she said. "I'm Piper Halliwell. This is my sister, Phoebe. And this is -"

"Paige Matthews," Wilder finished the introduction for her.

Piper drew back in surprise. "You _know_ Paige?"

"I know all of you," Wilder answered bluntly.

"But… we've never met… have we?"

Wilder pursed his lips. "I suppose we have," he said finally. "But you wouldn't remember. You were too young." He cast an apprehensive glance back at the lake. "We can't talk out here," he declared. "We're being watched. Follow me. I know a place where we can talk in safety."

He abruptly turned, and headed towards the tree line at a surprisingly quick pace. After a moment's hesitation, Leo, Darryl and the sisters followed.

Wilder plunged deeper and deeper into a thick and ever-darkening forest. The sisters noted again how lifeless the place seemed - not a single animal, natural or supernatural, could be seen anywhere. And the eerie silence was almost oppressive.

After a short walk, they found themselves in a narrow clearing with what appeared to be an outbuilding at the extreme edge of the property - it looked like one of the cabins nearer the shore, but without windows. Piper guessed it was probably a tool shed. As they entered, her guess proved to be right. A long workbench took up the wide wall, covered with any number of tools that were apparently regularly used and well maintained. A small room at the back was barely visible through a partially open door. Piper glimpsed a cot inside, and a handful of personal effects. This, apparently, was where Wilder made his home.

Wilder pulled out some folding chairs from one corner of the main room, and, with a slightly less disagreeable demeanor, invited them all to sit.

"So, you're here to slay the water demon," he said, his voice thick with derision - but Piper couldn't tell if the man's tone was out of malice, or pity - or some strange combination of both.

"Yes." Piper saw no point in denying it. "You know about the demon, then."

Wilder shrugged. "I don't know enough to kill it."

"But you'd like to?"

"Of course I would," Wilder's answer was almost a snarl. Then he leaned heavily against the workbench, deflated and exhausted. "But it can't be done."

"We'd like to disagree."

"Go ahead. Your grandmother, Penny, couldn't find a way to kill it. And she was the smartest witch I ever knew."

"You _knew_ our grandmother?" Phoebe's eyes went wide.

"Who are you, Sam?" Piper asked pointedly. "What are you to us?"

Wilder's head hung so low that but for the vertebrae in his neck, it would have fallen off. He sighed deeply, a low, mournful wheeze. Then finally he raised his head.

"You were too young to really remember me," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "But I was Patty's - your mother's - White Lighter."

"You're a White Lighter?" Phoebe frowned. "You mean, you're like Leo?"

"I was," Wilder corrected her. "I'm not one any more. Now, I'm just an old man."

Paige drew in a sharp breath. "You weren't just her guardian," she exclaimed. "You were in love with her."

Wilder mutely nodded.

Frowning in puzzlement, Paige stared at the man, and while not entirely intending to, she read Wilder's heart with her own magical powers - and what she "saw" there both stunned and dismayed her.

"Oh, my God," Paige breathed, and all the blood drained from her face. "You… you're my father?!"

The answering look on Wilder's face was so haunted, so pained, that everyone in the room gasped with astonishment.

Wilder nodded again. "Yes, Paige." His voice was little more than a broken rasp. "I am."

Again, without intending to, Paige caught a flicker of the memories in Darryl and Leo's minds. Paige whirled on the men angrily, tears welling in her eyes. "You _knew?"_ she hissed.

"We didn't know," Leo answered hastily. "Not for certain. We suspected. There was circumstantial evidence to suggest Sam is your father. But nothing we could prove."

Paige turned back to Wilder. "You've been alive all this time… and you've been sitting out here? Away from mom? Away from me?! Why?"

Wilder didn't answer; perhaps at that moment, he was simply unable to. Paige looked to each man in turn, mouth agape in silent disbelief and agony. Finally, she shook her head. "I can't deal with this," she declared to no one in particular, and bolted for the cabin door.

Wilder hastily blocked her path. "You can't go out there," he warned her. "I told you. That thing - it knows we're here. It's not safe to be outside. Especially not alone."

"Get out of my way," Paige growled angrily.

"I can't let you go out there, Paige."

"Get out of my way, or I'll -"

Leo quickly stepped beside Paige, and firmly but gently took her arm.

"Take your hands _off_ me," she seethed.

Leo bent forward, murmuring softly in a voice so low only Paige could hear. "Step into the next room with me. Sam's right, it's not safe outside. But you can have a minute alone."

Paige glared coldly at Wilder, huge tears spilling down both cheeks. "How could you?" she gasped, barely able to breathe the words, let alone speak them. "How _could_ you?!"

Unable to escape through the front door, Paige turned abruptly on her heel, and launched herself into the adjoining room, slamming the door behind her so forcibly that the entire cabin rocked on its foundations.

Piper made to follow, but Leo caught her arm. "Give her a minute," he pleaded.

Piper looked up at Leo, the turmoil in her thoughts barely masked by the pallor on her face. With great reluctance, she turned away, back towards Sam Wilder.

"You admit you are Paige's father."

"I am."

"So, that makes you our stepfather."

"Yes."

Piper decided she simply couldn't take this in, any more than Paige had done. She glanced at Phoebe, who appeared just as shocked and shaken as anyone else. Suppressing the whirl of thoughts in her head with an effort, Piper turned back to Wilder.

"For all anyone knew, you were dead."

Wilder barely nodded. "Yeah."

"Why?" Piper gestured helplessly. "Why the deception? Why the hiding? Why have you been sitting here all this time, when you have a daughter who needed -"

"I stayed out here because I had to," Wilder cut her off angrily. "I had no choice. This thing can't be stopped. Someone has to at least try to warn people away."

"Why don't you tell us what happened, Sam?" Leo asked quietly.

Wilder regarded the young man with a humorless smile, and then leaned heavily against the workbench on the far wall.

"If that isn't a loaded question," he muttered grimly.

"Sam, you're the only person here who actually knows what's going on," Leo pressed. "Help us. Please."

"That thing out there kills innocent people," Wilder said darkly. "And there's no way to kill it. That's all you need to know."

"No, that isn't all, Sam," Leo said with quiet anger. "And it's time for you to stop feeling sorry for yourself, and share what you know before someone else gets killed."

Wilder hunched his back slightly, still turned away; after a long moment, he turned back around.

"How long have you been a White Lighter?" he asked suddenly.

Leo seemed bemused by the question, but saw no reason not to answer. "A little over fifty-five years now."

"Ever fell in love with any of your charges?"

Again, Leo hesitated a moment before answering. "Yes," he admitted.

"Ever fell in love hard enough to act on those desires?" Wilder pressed.

Leo didn't reply, and Wilder grinned, but there was no trace of humor in his expression. "Yeah. That's an answer. You still married?"

Leo decided it might be helpful to be candid. "No," he answered. "She died. Many years ago now."

"I'm sorry." Wilder's response was automatic. He regarded Leo with an almost sympathetic stare. "You ever regret it?"

"No," Leo answered, with considerably more conviction this time.

Wilder seemed satisfied. He dropped into one of folding chairs, like a puppet with its strings cut. He regarded them all briefly.

"What do you want to know about the demon?" He asked. "I can't tell you much. But I'll tell you all I know."

Piper pulled her chair a little closer to Wilder's and sat down, facing almost directly across from him. "You saw her die," she realized aloud, not needing even Paige's gift of clairvoyance to understand this. "My mom. You saw her get killed."

"And your sister. Yes."

Piper felt her heart go into her throat. She glanced at Phoebe, who was still standing, stock-still and rigid, her face bloodless.

"And you couldn't protect them."

Huge tears welled in Wilder's eyes. "I tried," he wailed. "God. Oh, God. I - I couldn't save them - I couldn't -"

He broke off, weeping uncontrollably. Dismayed, Piper realized that whatever had happened, Wilder had witnessed it all - and had been powerless to prevent it. She couldn't envision a worse hell.

Barely able to push her own roiling emotions away, she leaned forward, and took the older man's larger, calloused hands into her own.

"Help us, Sam," she said quietly. "I can't imagine how difficult this must have been for you. But any little thing you remember could help."

"You still don't get it, do you?" Wilder exclaimed tearfully. "You can't stop this thing. It's too powerful. It's like saying you can stop a tornado. Or a hurricane. Or a wildfire."

"This is not some force of nature we're dealing with," Piper retorted with some heat. "It's a monster. It has intelligence. Awareness. It may not have a soul, but it has a mind. And it is evil."

"It's going to go on killing, until someone stops it," Phoebe added. "Until we stop it."

Wilder shook his head despairingly. "If you try," he declared, "You'll all die."

"Not if you help us," Paige said quietly.

Everyone looked up. Paige was standing in the now-open doorway. She was trembling slightly, and her face was very pale, and huge tears were still rolling down her cheeks. But in her expression was firm resolution. Wilder gave her a haunted look.

"Help us, dad," Paige pleaded. "Help us stop this thing before it kills anyone else. Help your daughters. Help your children."

Phoebe stepped forward and knelt beside Wilder's chair. "Look. No one knows better than me that morality isn't situational," she admitted somberly. "This thing… it's evil. We're the only ones who have a prayer of stopping it. If we don't even try…" she paused. "We're no better than it is."

Wilder regarded her somberly. "Do you really believe that?"

Phoebe shrugged sadly. "Sometimes, being evil is letting the bad guys get away with whatever they get away with. And I should know."

Piper said nothing, but she reached over, slipped her hand inside her sister's, and squeezed it tightly. Phoebe smiled at her, and turned back to Wilder.

"But not today," she declared. "I'm not running any more. Or hiding. Or keeping quiet. Whatever mistakes I've made, I'll pay for them. But this thing dies today. Or I will. I am not going to just roll over and play dead, and let the monsters do whatever they want. Not today. And not ever again."

Wilder looked to each of the sisters in turn, and saw the collective resolve on their faces. "Don't you understand?" He pleaded despairingly. "This thing - it killed your mother. It killed your sister."

"All the more reason to put an end to it," Piper said quietly.

"No, no! Don't you see? It's just _waiting_ for you to try to take it on, so it can kill the rest of you. You can't stop it. Nobody can stop it."

"Maybe not," Piper said evenly. "But Phoebe is right. We're the only ones who have a chance. So, what will it be, Sam? We're going out there to kill this thing. With or without you." She looked him in the eye. "And your daughter stands a hell of a lot better chance of surviving this, if you have her back."

Wilder winced as if he had been physically stabbed.

"You're not alone," Leo added quickly, and he said this for Piper's benefit as much as Wilder's. "It isn't just the Charmed Ones who can take this thing on now. With two White Lighters to help…"

"And a cop," Darryl butted in. As Leo started to protest, Darryl growled, "Hey. You are not leaving me out of this, Wyatt. Don't even think about it. I got my own unfinished business with the demons, too."

"We're going to help you finish that business," Phoebe vowed solemnly. "Starting with this one."

"Look," Wilder sighed. "You have to understand. This thing killed your sister. The oldest and most powerful sister, the one who was supposed to be the lead witch of the Charmed coven. Prue was a fully functioning witch when she was barely five years old. But she's no different than any of the rest of us. She was mortal. She could still drown."

Piper frowned. "You think this thing killed Prue in an attempt to keep the Charmed coven from being formed?"

Wilder shrugged. "I don't know what a demon thinks," he said in a dead voice. "But I think up until then, it was attacking randomly. Like any wild predator. Maybe it just responded instinctively to Prue's magical power. Maybe it was an accident. I don't know."

"You don't believe that," Darryl said quietly. Years of police interrogations gave him a good sense when people were holding back. Wilder regarded him for a moment, and nodded sadly.

"It lured Prue out onto the water. In a boat. I'm not sure how. I think it has some kind of power to hypnotize its prey at close range. Before this, all the drownings occurred close to shore, someone alone, and weak enough to not be able to swim to safety. But with Prue… it _called_ to her. It wanted to make sure she couldn't escape."

Piper could not suppress the shudder that ran across her shoulder blades. She swallowed hard. "What did you see, Sam?"

"I woke up because Patty was screaming." Wilder's eyes had lost their focus; he was now remembering what had happened that night in its full horror, and that was all he truly saw. "I got up. It was barely dawn. You girls were still asleep. I saw Patty running for the shore, and the boat already overturned, way out near the middle of the lake. There were waves - displacement - the boat had been flipped. Patty didn't break stride. She just… extended her arms… and she flew across the water. Literally, flew. I'd never seen her do that before. Ever. But before she could reach the boat, the - the…" he stopped for a moment, his mouth open wide in horror. "It just came up, out of the water. It _was_ the water. Like a giant hand. Scooped Patty up and dragged her down. She was gone in an instant. I had given up my powers by then, I couldn't orb myself out to the center of the lake. I swam. As fast as I could. I might as well have been swimming in mud. I couldn't see Patty anywhere. It was just barely light. Then the water calmed… I don't know why it didn't take me, too. It just … it got what it came for. I searched and searched until I had no strength left. I couldn't find Patty, or Prue. I swam back to the main cabin, that was the only one that had a phone, and called the police. And then I called Penny."

He looked at each of the sisters, his face wet with tears. "It took a team of divers three days to recover the bodies. They were found at the very bottom of the lake, partially covered under a pile of rock so the bodies wouldn't float. I couldn't save them," he blubbered. "I tried. But I couldn't … I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Oh, God. Oh, God."

He put his face in his hands and sobbed uncontrollably.

Piper leaned back in her seat, numbed. She touched her face and was surprised to find it wet with her own tears. She looked at Phoebe, kneeling beside her, and she was weeping too. Then she looked over at Paige.

The youngest of the sisters shook her head tearfully. "Oh, my God. I never realized," she almost breathed the words. "Grams never changed my adopted name. I was always Paige Matthews, even when she brought me home to live with you." She looked at Piper. "She was trying to hide me in plain sight."

Phoebe frowned in puzzlement. "I don't understand."

"The prophecy was meant for three sisters," Paige explained. "Not two sisters and some distant relative. Grams must have thought the water demon was targeting the Halliwell family intentionally. To keep the Charmed coven from forming. As long as I had the appearance of being just a niece… or a cousin… we were safe. All of us. The demons might be suspicious, they might even think we were witches, but they wouldn't actually think the Charmed Ones had been born into this generation. Or, if they did, they would have assumed that prophecy ended with Prue's death."

"A murder without a murderer," Darryl said grimly, mostly to himself.

Wilder's sobs had quieted, and he took in a few deep, rasping breaths before sitting up. "I'm so sorry, Paige," he said in a choked voice. "Even before Prue died, your mother and I were certain you would be the one who would be targeted."

"Me?" Paige frowned, perplexed. "Why me?"

"Because… well, you're a forbidden seed."

"Sorry, I'm a what?"

"Unions between Witches and White Lighters are forbidden. The offspring of such a pairing would have magical powers that are basically off the scale. They would be so powerful that their powers couldn't even be charted."

Paige cast a quick glance at Leo, who returned the gaze grimly. She remembered only too well that Leo had regarded her as potentially the most powerful witch who had ever lived.

"Does… does that mean I'm the only one?" Paige asked uncomfortably.

"The only witch whose father was a White Lighter? Well… the only one we know of," Leo answered.

Paige frowned at Leo in puzzlement. "But… weren't you married to a witch?"

"Yes, but we never had any children."

Leo's answer was so mournful that Paige realized this had been an intentional sacrifice he'd made for Lillian's sake - and one that still hurt him to this day.

"Leo - I'm sorry," Paige quavered.

Leo shrugged sadly. For the first time since she'd known him, Leo seemed truly lost and alone - so unlike the strong, reliable man all the sisters had come to depend on. When he spoke, his voice was utterly lifeless.

"There's nothing to be done with regret," he said finally. "I can't change what was."

He looked over at Piper, and she felt something like an electric shock. Leo couldn't change what had gone before, true. But if given another chance, she realized he wouldn't make the same decision. He wanted children. Piper felt her emotions swimming in front of her eyes, literally blinding her for a moment.

"Patty and I gave you up for adoption," Wilder continued, his voice almost as lifeless as Leo's. "I'm so sorry, Paige. We made a terrible mistake. We were wrong. Even if you were a target for every demon in creation - we should have kept you. You should have been a Halliwell all along. I've done something unforgivable. But for whatever it's worth, we were just trying to protect you. We didn't do the right thing. I regret it, and I'm sorry."

Paige slowly walked over to where Wilder sat, and after a moment's hesitation, leaned over and hugged him tightly.

"I forgive you," she said simply. "Whatever you did, you were trying to save me. Don't hurt yourself any more. Forgive yourself - for my sake."

She knelt beside him, taking his hands in hers. "Help us, Dad. Help us kill the monster that killed mom."

"Yes," Wilder said brokenly. "Yes, I will."

Piper cocked her head for a moment, listening. Just at the edge of her hearing she'd been sensing a dull, far-off roar; she'd been far too distracted to pay attention before now. But the sound was getting louder - and closer.

"What is that?"

"What is what?"

Piper held up a hand, pleading for silence. "Listen."

Everyone listened - and they too could dimly hear a dull seashell roar - and the sound of bending tree branches, moving ever closer - the sound of rushing water.

"What the hell?" Darryl got quickly to his feet, suddenly alert to a sense of danger.

Wilder stood up, his eyes wide, all the color draining from his face. "Oh, my God," he croaked. "It's coming after us."

"What?" Phoebe could barely comprehend what Wilder was thinking. "You mean, the demon? It's coming _here?_ How can it do that?"

Suddenly, the entire cabin shuddered, as if someone or something had thrown its whole weight against the side of the structure. The logs and cross beams creaked in protest - and then, water began to spray into the room from the slightest openings under the door, between the beams in the roof, anywhere - dousing and drenching all the men and women in an instant.

"Oh God! It's left the lake!" Wilder was frantic, almost panicked. "It's surrounding the cabin!"

Before Leo could reach out to grab anyone and orb them away, the door caved in - literally folding in two under the sudden pressure of the water ramming against it. Everyone was swept to the floor as an inundating wave rolled into the workspace - not enough to fill the cabin to the roof, but enough to knock everyone off their feet, and send them under several feet of water.

Piper struggled to the surface, choking and gagging. The water in the cabin was up to her waist, but it did not seem to be rising any higher; everyone else was likewise struggling to once again stand upright and regain their breath - all except Paige, who stood serenely in the center of the room, apparently unaffected by the sudden attack.

"What the hell?" Piper tried to wade towards her sister, but Paige suddenly turned towards her, an evil smile twisting the girl's face. Her eyes - even the sclera of them - had gone completely black. As Piper gasped in horror, Paige's mouth widened in a soundless laugh.

"Paige? Paige, are you okay?" Piper called out frantically.

When the mouth opened again, it was not Paige Matthews' voice that Piper heard, but the malevolent, choking rasp of the water demon.

"Your sister belongs to me now," it gargled. "And you're next."


	6. Chapter 6

_Author's note: I don't normally suggest a soundtrack for my Charmed stories, but the graveyard scene at the end of 'Dark Water' is informed by a very specific piece of music: "Old Churchyard", as performed by the Wailin' Jennys. (The song appears on their most recent album, Fifteen, and there's a YouTube music video available if you're interested.) For best effect, I invite you to listen to that song while reading that scene. Music was always a prominent element of the Charmed TV show, and I hope that hearing this song will help enrich your reading experience for this story. I had the song very much in mind while writing that scene. With or without the soundtrack, I would like to wish everyone a very happy holiday. And thank you for all the comments on this newest Charmed series - I don't usually respond to comments individually, because FF doesn't really have a means to share conversation threads that can be read by everyone (and they should!) - but I do read every comment, and the feedback is always greatly appreciated._

* * *

Piper's blood ran cold as she realized the demon she sought to vanquish was now possessing the body of her beloved baby sister Paige. To see that sweet, round face twisted into a feral snarl was bad enough - but those horrible black-within-black eyes made Piper physically sick to her stomach.

"Who are you? What are you?"

"I am the demon you seek. The demon who ended the threat of the Charmed Ones forever."

"What do you want?"

"What every demon wants. I want your powers."

"Our powers?" Piper stared blankly at her possessed sister. "Our _magical_ powers?"

"Of course," the demon answered, using Paige's voice. "Even though you are not Charmed, you and your sisters are still powerful witches. Your magic is currency in both heaven and hell. And I have need of that currency, I deserve so much more."

Piper glanced over at Phoebe; her sister was staring at Paige in terrified, almost catatonic, silence. At the periphery of her vision, she realized all the men had struggled to their feet in the waist-deep water; but they were holding back, standing their ground, not wanting to hurt Paige in any way.

To herself, Piper thought, _the demon doesn't know. He thinks we're just ordinary witches._

"Why do you deserve anything?" Piper had no reason for asking the question, she was simply trying not to give in completely to blind panic.

"I ended the threat of the Charmed Ones. And yet I am confined to this empty space, caught between heaven and hell, unrecognized. For what I have done, all Hell should proclaim me as the Source!"

"The Source of what?" Piper tried desperately to consider the confluence of a river; it was the only comparison she could draw.

"He means the Source of all Evil," Leo tried to explain.

"And what the hell is that?"

"It's a title, an honorific. The Source is basically the king - or the queen - of all the demons."

"Ahh, at last, someone who knows what they're talking about," the demon smirked. "As if you would know anything of Hell, White Lighter."

"I know enough," Leo retorted.

The demon spread Paige's arms and considered her form admiringly. "This is a good body," it nodded. "It will serve me well."

"Why do you want a human form?" Leo asked. "Surely, in your natural form, you could transport yourself anywhere."

"No, I am one with the water, but in that form I am confined to this place," the demon answered. "But with this body, I can go anywhere. I can finally march into the underworld, and demand my rightful reward before all the host of hell."

The demon regarded Leo through Paige's heavy lidded eyes. "You are wondering why I have not possessed someone before now. Only the body of a supremely powerful witch could hope to contain me. And the Halliwell witches were the first I encountered that were strong enough. I could not take the eldest sister, she had to die to end the Warren prophecy. I had to kill the mother to protect myself. But this child... oh, her powers are... intoxicating. I could sense the question in your mind before you even asked it."

"You are not taking my sister anywhere," Piper snarled.

"You wish to threaten me? The nascent witch who has not even learned how to freeze time?" The demon smirked. "Oh, yes, I know about your powers. But you have no control over them, do you, fledgling? You are no threat to me."

"Maybe I am just a witch in training," Piper retorted. "But, you know what? Even though I'm new to the craft, I still know what the essence of true magic is."

"Really," sneered the demon.

"The right word, at the right time," Piper declared emphatically.

The demon snorted in contempt. "You forget, I have your sister's powers. I know the secrets of your heart. You came unprepared. You have no spell to vanquish me."

"I don't need one," Piper answered calmly.

"Is that so? And what will you use instead, to stop me?"

"I just told you. The right words, at the right time."

"Then speak your words. They will mean nothing to me."

"They're not meant for you. They're for my sister." Piper took in a deep breath. "Paige. I love you," she said simply. "Come back to me."

A visible shudder coursed through Paige's body, and the demon within assumed an expression of pain.

"What is this?" It bellowed. "What are you doing?!"

"Paige, I love you. Come back to me," Piper repeated, more forcefully, and the demon shuddered again, clearly in agony. Piper flailed her arms desperately at Phoebe. "Phoebe! Help me!" She pleaded.

Phoebe reached out, and clasped her sister's hand. "Paige, we love you," the sisters chanted together. "Come back to us. Paige, we love you. Return to us."

"No! You cannot release her! She is mine!"

"Yeah, you should have read the fine print, demon," Piper said quietly. "Paige is our baby sister. She is the one who fulfills the Warren prophecy, not Prue. She is a seventh generation child of a witch and a White Lighter. She's not just a Charmed One. She is the most powerful witch who's ever lived."

Paige's body bent double as the demon within struggled to retain the form it had stolen. "No! This is not possible! It cannot be!"

"You tried to take possession of the one woman who has more magical power than any creature on earth. And guess what? She's a force of nature. You might as well try to stop a tornado. Or a hurricane. Or a wildfire."

"I will keep this form!" The demon shrieked, but its writhing made clear this was a losing battle.

"Yeah, I don't think so," Piper declared. "Here's some even better words. Come on, Paige, kick this monster's ass!"

The demon howled again, writhing in agony. Leo sidled alongside Phoebe.

"If the demon re-enters the water, we'll never find it again," he whispered urgently into Phoebe's ear. "Once it leaves Paige's body, we have to contain it somehow."

Phoebe looked around the ruined cabin frantically, searching for anything that might serve as a container. Her eyes fell upon a large, open-faced metal tub, the sort used to put party drinks on ice. She looked at Leo despairingly.

"It doesn't have a lid," she groaned.

"It's better than nothing. If it enters the water, it's gone."

Paige's writhing suddenly stopped, her body now erect and upright, head thrown back, arms splayed at the sides. A noxious, viscous substance, looking very much like engine oil, began to spray violently from her nose and mouth.

"Oh, my God!" Phoebe shrieked in panic, and waved her arm at the metal tub in desperation. The tub yanked itself free from the hooks holding it to the wall, and just as the bulk of the demon's true form exited Paige's body, instead of finding the standing water it so desperately sought, it landed with a dull splash in the bottom of the tub.

Paige collapsed, unconscious, and Wilder barely had time to catch her before she fell backwards into the water.

The oily form of the demon oozed and bubbled to the edges of the tub, hissing and spitting in rage. "You cannot hold me," it seethed. "I will return to the water and wait until you have gone."

"Yeah, I'm afraid we can't do that," Piper retorted. "That's another bit of fine print you forgot to read. What kind of women we all were, before we found out we were witches."

The demon almost seemed bemused by Piper's remark. "What is that to me?" It snarled.

"For instance, when I'm not practicing magic, I'm a master chef," Piper answered. "And do you know what cooks do with water?" Piper raised her hands. "We boil it."

Piper splayed her fingers wide in a sudden, violent gesture - and her nascent power, the ability to freeze time, manifested instead as a fiery explosion in the center of the creature's mass. The demon howled in agony, and tried desperately to shift its form away, so it could dive into the waiting water and hide itself. Piper gestured again, and wherever she saw black, oily tendrils still writhing, she kept gesturing, creating more and more explosions until nothing but acrid smoke filled the cabin. Everyone began to choke and cough under the billowing, noxious fumes.

"Get Paige out of here," Leo said to Wilder, gagging on his words. But Wilder knew what Leo meant, and quickly carried his unconscious daughter from the building. Darryl stood, frozen in uncertainty, and Leo waved him off.

"Go," he croaked. "We're right behind you."

Reluctantly, Darryl turned and followed Wilder out of the building.

Leo hurried to Piper's side. "It's not dead yet," he said grimly. "Just stunned."

"I know. I'm going to fix that. Get Phoebe out of here. Find yourselves some cover."

"What are you going to do?"

"Call down the thunder."

Leo had a pretty good idea of what Piper intended to do, and he started to protest - she had never actively attempted to manifest such a power before. But Piper cut him off.

"Go," she ordered, and it was a tone of voice that indicated she expected to be obeyed without question.

Leo turned, grabbing Phoebe's arm, and none too gently pulled her away. Phoebe attempted to struggle, but the choking fumes weakened her, and even though she wanted to remain at Piper's side, Leo half-dragged, half-carried her away from the cabin.

What was left of the demon raised itself weakly from the tub, charred and smoking. "You've won nothing," it croaked. "You cannot destroy me. Evil can never be destroyed."

"Oh, I have more than enough power to put an end to you, demon," Piper answered evenly. "I'm not just a witch of the Warren line. I am a Charmed One. And as such, I can call on any and all of the powers of my ancestors as I need to. Including, the power to control the weather."

She raised both arms high over her head, and as she did so, a deafening thunderclap shook the cabin down to its foundations.

"No," the demon croaked feebly. "No! You cannot!"

Piper smiled mirthlessly. "That's the thing about being Charmed. I can do pretty much anything I want, especially when some lousy demon pisses me off. And guess what? Trying to kill my sister really qualifies."

She brought both arms down to her sides in a sudden, violent motion. The demon could sense the crackle of electricity coursing downwards through the air, and realized it only had time to utter one last curse.

"You have no idea what's coming for you," it snarled. "No demon in creation will rest, until all of you witches are dragged down into Hell!"

"See you there," Piper retorted, and then, the bolt of lightning struck the cabin, punching straight through the roof, and striking the demon's form head on - and in the process, blowing the rest of what remained of the cabin to smoking kindling. Only a few yards away, Leo, Darryl, Wilder and Phoebe dove for cover, protecting Paige's prone body as flaming debris of all sizes and shapes went sailing overhead. When the last of the detritus and shrapnel had landed, everyone raised their heads hesitantly - and saw Piper standing in the center of the charred foundation, a simple tendril of black smoke rising where once the demon had stood. Great clouds of steam carried what was left of the standing water away. Piper smiled at their collective agog expressions.

Slowly, everyone got to their feet, and as Piper walked over to join them, Phoebe asked only half-jokingly, "Are you sure Paige is supposed to be the most powerful witch in the family?"

Even as she spoke, Paige rolled over onto her side, choking and gasping. She opened her eyes, and with a sigh of relief and a silent prayer of thanksgiving, Piper saw that it was actually Paige who was sitting up, her brave, beautiful baby sister, now seeing once again with her own eyes.

Piper knelt beside her and helped Paige slowly rise into a sitting position.

"Welcome back," she said quietly, in a voice thick with emotion.

After choking back a few mouthfuls of brackish water, Paige looked up at her big sister.

"Kick this monster's ass?" She echoed Piper's own words back to her.

"Hey, it worked, didn't it?" Piper grinned.

Paige threw her arms around her big sister's neck, and hugged her as tight as she could.

* * *

It was a bright, sunny and surprisingly warm afternoon, and the Halliwell sisters had gathered at the city graveyard to lay wreaths of remembrance on the graves of their family. It had been just over a week since the battle with the water demon, and all the sisters felt ready and able to seek closure. Standing with them in their time of memoriam were the men who had now become closest to them: Paige's boyfriend Glen, and her newfound father, Sam Wilder; Leo Wyatt; and Inspector Darryl Morris. As they walked slowly through the graveyard towards the Halliwell family plot, Phoebe slipped her smaller hand inside Darryl's, squeezed it and gave him a grateful smile.

"Thank you for coming with us," she said quietly. "Then and now."

He returned the smile willingly. "It was least I could do."

"Your least is more than most people would do."

Darryl shrugged. "I had a dog in this fight, as the saying goes."

"If you're still serious about having a new partner who can help you slay demons, I'm still interested."

"I'm very glad to hear you say that. Yeah. I'm serious." Darryl's smile melted into a frown of concern. "This could be very dangerous work, Phoebe."

"Sounds like fun," she quipped, and then smiled sadly. "I've done a lot of really stupid things in my life, Darryl. Looking for that thrill of danger. But I wasn't doing anything that was helping me or anyone else. It was just foolish, destructive behavior - self destructive," she corrected herself. "It would be nice to do something that's going to make a positive difference instead."

"You'd have to train like any other rookies, before I could take you on," Darryl pointed out. "My bosses aren't going to let me partner with just anyone - even a super-powered witch - on my say-so alone."

Phoebe grinned. "I get to be a cop?"

"It would be a huge commitment, Phoebe," Darryl cautioned.

"I'm ready," Phoebe assured him.

After a moment, Darryl smiled at her. "Yeah. I think you are," he agreed solemnly.

A few paces behind, Paige Matthews walked along with two men flanking her - Glen Belland on one side, holding her hand, and Sam Wilder on the other. The former White Lighter had managed to clean himself up noticeably since their first meeting. He had shaved and trimmed his unkempt beard, had a haircut, and was wearing a dark suit that was old but still presentable. Paige wondered silently about the life this man must have lived, and hoped there would be time enough to ask the questions.

"Now that we've finally dug you up, you're not going to disappear again, are you?" she asked, unable to keep a plaintive note out of her voice.

Sam Wilder smiled sadly. "Are you sure you want me around?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

"I haven't exactly done right by you."

Paige sighed. "I can't even begin to understand what you and mom must have been going through," she said finally. "But I have no seat from which to judge you, Dad. I just know I've been looking for you my whole life. And now that I've found you, I wouldn't like to lose you again."

"So, what do we do?"

"Why don't we just agree to stay in touch - spend some time together - and we'll see where that takes us?" Paige suggested hopefully.

"You don't really know anything about me," Wilder cautioned.

"Well, let's see. I know you've been a White Lighter, so I know you must have a good heart," Paige answered. "You've spent years trying to protect innocent people from the predations of a demon from hell, so I know you must be brave. I know you've done a lot of stupid things you regret…" she allowed herself a quiet smile. "That's a trait you share with your daughter, just so you know."

Wilder grinned. "I can't imagine you doing any stupid thing."

"Oh, trust me, I get into all kinds of trouble you wouldn't believe." She squeezed Glen's hand tightly and gave him a radiant smile. "But I've got someone who's got my back."

"I'm very glad to hear that," Sam Wilder said solemnly, casting a somber smile to Glen.

"It would mean the world to Paige if you hung around," Glen suggested quietly, not wanting to intrude too much on the conversation.

"Yeah, Dad, you're welcome to stay with us," Paige invited. "Since we kind of blew up your house and all."

For the first time, Wilder smiled at his daughter, a huge, carefree grin. "Oh, sweetheart, having a place to stay was never a problem," he assured her. "Up until now, I just never had anyplace to go."

"But you do now."

"Yeah. I think I do," Wilder nodded.

Trailing behind the others by several paces, Piper and Leo walked side by side, holding hands. When they had first arrived at the graveyard, they had started just walking alongside each other - but after a few paces, Piper had shyly slipped her smaller hand inside his, and they continued that way for the rest of the walk.

Piper turned to Leo and gave him a grateful smile. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"You reminded me that love is stronger than anger, stronger than grief. That what defeats evil isn't more evil." She paused. "Ever since I learned about the water demon, all I wanted to do was destroy it. I wanted revenge. But when it tried to possess Paige, I realized, all the anger in the world wouldn't be enough to stop it. I needed something more powerful. I wouldn't have found that answer, if not for you."

Leo simply smiled in reply, but that smile spoke volumes: his pride in Piper for finding her way; his fear that he might have lost her, and her sisters as well; but most of all, his deep and growing attraction to her. Piper returned that smile, with all that nuance and then some - and then her smile turned slightly mischievous.

Leo looked at her helplessly. "What?"

"I was just thinking what it would be like to kiss you."

"Oh… ah…"

"Would you like to find out?"

Leo seemed more than genuinely flustered, so Piper pulled them both to a halt.

"Leo, I know how much you loved Lillian. And I can't even imagine what it must be like to live more than a lifetime like you have done," she said quietly. "I'm not asking for any sort of commitment from you. I'm not even sure what I want myself. It's just… I look at you, and I see someone strong, and gentle, and kind, and - I like that about you. I like it a lot."

"I like you, too," Leo confided shyly. "I've never met anyone like you, Piper. And I don't mean just because you're a Charmed One. I think you would be remarkable even without -"

Leo didn't get a chance to finish his sentence, as Piper impulsively pulled him close, and kissed him passionately. After a moment, they both pulled away shyly, surprised and a little scared by their mutual attraction.

"Wow," Leo breathed, left momentarily speechless.

"Okay. That was better than I was expecting," Piper said with a grin.

A few minutes later, everyone had gathered together at the Halliwell plot. Piper and Paige had not been to the cemetery since Penny's funeral - and while the grass had grown in over the newest grave, it was a brighter, lighter green than the grass that surrounded it. The men took a step back, so the sisters could perform their simple service of remembrance. Piper looked at the gravestones laid out before her, and the names etched upon them: Prudence Halliwell, beloved sister. Patricia Halliwell, the mother separated tragically from her children. Penelope Halliwell - for all practical purposes, Piper's true mother. Piper felt an intolerable sense of loss and knelt down by the newest grave.

"We did it, Grams," she murmured softly, running her fingers along the cold stone. "Paige, Phoebe and me. We vanquished the demon. You and mom and Prue can rest now. The evil is gone." She drew in a sharp breath. "I will never stop missing you."

Her tears began to fall, then, spilling from her cheeks into the grass beneath her. Phoebe and Paige knelt beside her, silently weeping as well.

As the sisters wept, Piper was suddenly aware of some gentle movement, just at the periphery of her vision. She looked down, and to her astonishment, saw that where her tears had struck the earth, tiny flowers were sprouting forth from the grass - even as she watched. Her sisters had similar bouquets of mourning growing at their feet. She watched, open-mouthed, too astounded to cry - as the tendrils gently tugged their way towards the stones, every tiny vine covered with flowers of different colors and varieties, none of the blooms bigger than her fingernail. Piper felt someone tugging urgently at her hand.

She looked up, and Paige wordlessly pointed just beyond the stones. In every direction, coming from the surrounding trees and shrubs, in solemn and stately procession, was nearly every manner of magical being that Piper had ever seen - and many others she'd never before encountered.

Those with human bodies bowed deeply before the Charmed Ones. Those that were clothed removed their caps or other headgear in an expression of sympathy. And then, silently, with great reverence, they took up the ever-growing vines and fastidiously fashioned them into beautiful garlands around each of the three gravestones: bluebells for Prudence, lilacs for Patricia and pure white lilies for Penelope.

Piper couldn't even believe what she was seeing. The creatures of the magical community had come forth not only to stand beside Piper and her sisters in their time of mourning, but also as an expression of humble, heartfelt thanks. The witches had vanquished a great evil, and made the world safer for their kind. And as each departed, by the slightest of gestures, a bowing of heads, hands on hearts, or simply tears of empathy - they imparted their deepest and most sincere gratitude.

Piper glanced over at Leo. He was well aware of these creatures and their place within the community. He simply smiled at her to indicate that all was as it should be. Glen, Sam and Darryl somehow had been granted that special sight that allowed them to see the magical community as well - and while they were astonished, even awed, they were not frightened. The solemn reverence with which the creatures moved made plain their intentions.

Piper barely breathed until the last of the creatures had disappeared back among the trees. She looked to her sisters, who were just as overwhelmed as she was. At first, she had no words to explain or describe it; but then she remembered something. Shortly after Piper had first met Leo, he had assured her that grief was universal - all creatures knew it and felt it, and that they all shared the experience with one another as a way of assuaging its force. It was one thing to hear the consoling words. It was another thing entirely to literally see the magical community coming together to offer whatever comfort and condolences they could to Piper and her sisters. Piper had a sudden insight as to how truly and deeply she had been blessed. Her family was not gone. Living and dead, they were gathered all around her, and always would be - as Prue had tried to tell her, and that seemed such a long time ago. Most importantly, Piper was reunited with her sisters. And their lives would remain intertwined for all eternity. _No time in which we do not exist. No time in which we shall cease to be._ Piper bowed her head, and solemnly and gratefully gave worship.

* * *

It was the first Saturday in April, and Piper came down to the kitchen to hear her two sisters having an animated discussion while sitting at the breakfast table.

"Come on, Paige," Phoebe was coaxing. "You should come join the demon-ass-kicking team with me."

"Well, I need to do something," Paige sighed. "Seeing as I missed out on my previous job opportunity by not showing up for work. Hey, morning, Piper."

"Morning, you guys," Piper greeted them. "What's the hot topic?"

"Phoebe's trying to get me to join the police force."

"Oh, really."

"It's a perfect solution," Phoebe insisted. "Paige needs a job now that she lost out on the last one. And what better way to make a living than kicking demon ass?"

"Honey, I know you mean well, and it's not like I wouldn't consider it," Paige demurred. "I don't want to be a cop."

"Maybe you don't have to be," Piper pointed out. "The police regularly call in psychics as outside consultants on difficult cases or cold leads. Your talents would certainly qualify."

"There! You see?" Phoebe declared triumphantly. "Darryl could call you in when we need a mind reader."

Paige looked down her nose at her sister. "I don't read minds, Phoebe."

"You're close enough to it for my money," Phoebe declared. She frowned as Piper began to put on her jacket. "Aren't you having breakfast this morning?"

"I'm going out with Leo," Piper confided shyly.

Both Phoebe and Paige's eyes lit up. "Ooh! Is this a real honest to goodness date?"

"Yes, I think maybe it is."

"Yeah, but for breakfast, though?" Paige objected.

Piper shrugged. "He said there was something special he wanted to show me."

Phoebe and Paige shared a quick look, and then burst into peals of laughter.

"Not that kind of special," Piper chided her sisters. "Honestly. You guys really need to get your minds out of the gutter."

"We will if you will," Phoebe grinned.

"All right, all right, enough," Piper drawled, shrugging her purse onto her shoulder. "Promise me you two will behave yourselves while I'm gone."

"Do we ever?"

"There's always a first time."

"Okay, have fun with Leo, then. Will you be home in time for dinner?"

"As far as I know, I will. I'll call you guys if anything changes."

The doorbell rang, and Piper turned away. "Okay, that's my cue to skedaddle. See ya, sisters."

"We love you, Piper," Paige called after her.

Piper grinned and turned back to her sisters. "Love you more."

"Love you most," Paige and Phoebe chimed in unison, and with a chuckle, Piper went to answer the door.

Leo was standing on the porch, an uncharacteristically mischievous grin on his face.

"Good morning, you," Piper greeted him with a quick peck on the cheek.

"Ready for your morning out?"

"As long as it includes breakfast," Piper answered. "I haven't even had a cup of coffee yet."

"We can take care of that," Leo assured her.

"So, where are we going?"

"Chinatown."

Piper looked askance at the young man. "Leo, Chinatown is nothing special. That's where I go to run errands," she protested.

Leo continued to grin at her. "Have you been down there since you received your magical powers?"

"Well… no…"

"Then you've never been to Chinatown."

Piper reflected on that remark; Leo had been a trustworthy guide up to now, and even without the benefit of magical sight, Piper had long been aware that there was a magical quality to the area that she'd never been able to pin down before. It might make a nice adventure, at that.

"All right," she agreed. "Do you want to drive, or shall I?"

"Yeah, actually, we're not going to drive," Leo confessed sheepishly.

"I hope you're not expecting us to walk."

"Not exactly. You're going to find out about this sooner or later, so… it's time I showed you how White Lighters get around."

"Not by driving, then." Piper grinned.

"No." Leo smiled shyly. "I'll, uhh, have to hold you."

Piper considered that for a moment, and then gave Leo a radiant smile. "Okay," she answered, stepping up close to him. He encircled his muscular arms around her, and to Piper that felt more like home than anything she'd felt in a long time.

"Ready?" Leo asked.

"Ready," Piper grinned.

As Piper gasped in astonishment, she and Leo were suddenly encircled by a blinding circle of brilliant white lights - and just as she had time to register the fact, they disappeared from sight, leaving the porch standing empty in the early springtime morning. Somewhere underneath the rose bushes, a family of gnomes laughed merrily in amusement.

* * *

 _The Charmed Ones will return in 'Memento Mori'._


End file.
